\ 


-A 


THE 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION 


ANTECEDENTS: 


A   HISTORY    OF 


FOUR    MINISTERIAL    ASSOCIATIONS 

THE  MARLBOROUGH,  THE  WORCESTER  (OLD),  THE   LANCASTER. 
AND   THE  WORCESTER  (NEW)  ASSOCIATIONS. 


EKttfj  Biographical  Notices  of  tfje  fflcmbers, 

ACCOMPANIED    BY  PORTRAITS. 


BY    JOSEPH    ALLEN, 

SENIOR    PASTOR     OF     THE     FIRST     CONGREGATIONAL    SOCIETY     IN 
KOBXHBOBOUQH. 


BOSTON: 

NICHOLS    AND    NOYES. 
18G8. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 

JOSEPH    ALLEN, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts 


CAMBRIDGE: 
PRESS  OF  JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON. 


NOTICE. 


IT  is  several  years  since,  that,  at  the  request  of  the 
WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION,  I  undertook  to  write 
its  history,  and  accordingly  prepared  a  sketch,  which 
was  read  before  that  body  at  one  of  its  regular  meet- 
ings. It  was  then  proposed,  that  I  should  treat  the 
subject  more  fully,  with  a  view  to  its  publication. 
With  many  interruptions  and  much  delay,  I  have  at 
length  completed  the  work,  —  a  labor  of  love,  — 
which  is  respectfully  and  affectionately  dedicated  to 
the  brethren  at  whose  instance  it  was  undertaken, 
—  the  past  and  present  members  of  the  Worcester 
Association,  —  by  their  brother,  the  senior  member. 

JOSEPH   ALLEN. 
"NORTHBOROUGH,  MASS.,  Dec.  6, 1867. 


P  E  E  F  A  C  E. 


A  T  the  time  of  my  settlement  in  Northborough, 
*•*•  half  a  century  ago,  there  were  in  the  neigh- 
borhood three  ministerial  associations,  with  members 
of  each  of  which  I  had  formed  an  acquaintance. 
These  were  the  Marlborough  Association  (the  old 
Marlborough  Association  revived),  and  the  Worcester 
and  the  Lancaster  Associations ;  the  two  latter  soon 

afterwards    uniting    to    form    one,  —  the    Worcester 

> 
Association,  as  it  now  exists. 

From  an  examination  of  the  records  of  the  Marl- 
borough  Association,  I  was  led  to  believe,  that  the 
old  Worcester  Association  was  nearly  related  to  it, 
being  the  identical  body  formed  by  the  division  of 
that  Association  in  1762. 

It  appears,  that  that  body,  which  was  organized 
in  1725,  had  gradually  extended  its  bounds,  till  it 
embraced,  besides  a  considerable  number  of  towns  in 

b 


VI  PREFACE. 

Middlesex  County,  nearly  all  the  territory  included 
within  the  limits  of  the  Worcester  Association.  It 
appears,  moreover,  that  in  1762,  on  account  of  its 
great  extent,  by  mutual  agreement  a  division  took 
place ;  the  eastern  section  lying  mostly  within  the 
bounds  of  Middlesex  County,  —  taking  in  several 
towns,  however,  on  the  other  side  of  the  line,  — 
while  the  western  section  lay  wholly  in  Worcester 
County.  As  the  eastern  division  retained  the  name 
of  the  original  body,  and  as  an  association  bearing 
the  name  of  the  Worcester  Association  is  known  to 
have  existed  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  —  it  having  been  dissolved  in  1791,  —  it 
seems  highly  probable,  in  the  absence  of  any  evi- 
dence to  the  contrary,  that  this  body  was  identically 
the  same  as  the  subdivision  of  the  Marlborough 
Association,  which  lay  in  Worcester  County. 

Regarding,  then,  the  Worcester  Association  as  a 
lineal  descendant  of  the  Marlborough  Association,  I 
was  induced  to  go  back  to  the  beginning,  and  to 
give,  in  chronological  order,  a  connected  history  of 
the  several  associations  which  have  successively  or 
contemporaneously  occupied  the  same  ground,  for 
the  long  period  of  a  hundred  and  forty-two  years ; 
that  is,  from  1725  to  1867. 

Of  the  western  branch  of  the  Marlborough  Asso- 
ciation, from  its  origin  in  1762  to  its  dissolution  in 


PREFACE.  Vll 

1791,  a  period  of  thirty  years,  I  am  not  aware  that 
any  records  remain.  Its  history,  therefore,  cannot 
be  written. 

The  following  pages  will  be  found  to  contain 
sketches  of  the  history  of  four  distinct  organizations, 
all  more  or  less  intimately  connected  with  each 
other.  These  are  the  MARLBOROUGH  ASSOCIATION, 
the  old  WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION,  the  LANCASTER 
ASSOCIATION,  and  the  new  WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION, 
formed  in  1820  by  a  union  of  the  two  latter,  and 
which  still  lives,  and  maintains  an  honorable  posi- 
tion. 

In  conjunction  with  the  historical  sketches  will  be 
found  biographical  notices  of  the  members,  —  some 
of  them  very  brief  and  imperfect,  others  more  full 
and  extended,  —  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  be  accept- 
able to  the  reader. 

By  the  kindness  of  friends,  I  have  been  able  to 
procure  portraits  of  several  of  the  departed  and 
of  the  living  members,  which  are  inserted  in  the 
work. 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

MARLBOROUGH  ASSOCIATION 1-36 

BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES  :  — 

ROBERT  BRECK 36 

JOHN  SWIFT 41 

ISRAEL  LORING 44 

JOHN  GARDNER 51 

JOHN  PRENTICE 54 

JOB  GUSHING 56 

EBENEZER  PARKMAN 56 

SOLOMON  PRENTICE 58 

WILLIAM  COOK 59 

SAMUEL  BARRETT 60 

THOMAS  FRINK 62 

NATHAN  STONE     62 

JOHN  MARTYN 63 

AARON  SMITH 65 

EBENEZER  MORSE 67 

THOMAS  Goss 69 

JOSEPH  BUCKMINSTER    .                                            .  72 


:  TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

JOHN  SWIFT 74 

JOSEPH  DAVIS 75 

JOHN  SECCOMB .- 75 

JOHN  MELLEN 78 

THADDEUS  MACARTY 82 

JOSEPH  WHEELER 84 

TIMOTHY  HARRINGTON 85 

JOSIAH  BRIDGE 86 

PETER  WHITNEY  (portrait) 90 

JOSEPH  WILLARD 93 

JACOB  BIGELOW 95 

/ 

JONATHAN  NEWELL 96 

JOEL  FOSTER 101 

MOSES  ADAMS 102 

PHINEAS  WRIGHT 104 

SAMUEL  SUMNER ' 105 

DAVID  KELLOGG 106 

EZRA  RIPLEY 108 

ASA  PACKARD 114 

JEROBOAM  PARKER 118 

SYLVESTER  F.  BUCKLIN  119 


WORCESTER  (OLD)  ASSOCIATION 123-129 

BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES  :  — 

AARON  BANCROFT  (portrait) 129 

JOSEPH  SUMNER  (portrait) 147 

JOSEPH  AVERY 152 

WARD  COTTON 154 

WILLIAM  NASH 156 

JOHN  MILES     .  160 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS.  XI 

PAGE 

LANCASTER  ASSOCIATION 167-173 

BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES:  — 

NATHANIEL  THAYER  (portrait) 173 

ISAAC  ALLEN 183 

DAVID  DAMON 193 

LEMUEL  CAPEN     203 

SAMUEL  CLARKE   .  214 


WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION  (NEW) 229-290 

BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES  OF  DECEASED  MEMBERS:  — 

IRA  II.  T.  BLANCHARD  (portrait) 290 

SETH  ALDEN 302 

HIRAM  WITHINGTON 311 

RUFUS  A.  JOHNSON 323 

PETER  OSGOOD    ' 329 

WILLIAM  A.  WHITWELL 335 

JARED  M.  HEARD  (portrait) 341 

WARREN  BURTON  .  355 


APPENDIX  :    CONTAINING    NOTICES    OF    THE    LIVING 
MEMBERS'.  .316-426 


MARYBOROUGH   ASSOCIATION. 


MAftLBOROUGH  ASSOCIATION. 


^HE  MARLBOROUGH  ASSOCIATION  was  formed  in 
1725,  just  fifty  years  before  the  breaking-out  of 
the  war  of  the  Revolution  ;  and  it  lived  and  flourished 
through  the  long  period  of  eighty-nine  years,  having 
been  dissolved  by  a  vote  of  the  members,  Oct.  14, 
1814.  It  consisted  at  first  of  but  seven  members, 
who  were  pastors  of  churches  in  towns  lying  on 
the  western  borders  of  Middlesex  County,  of  which 
towns  Marlborough  was  the  centre.  These  were 
Sudbury,  including  Wayland,  on  the  east ;  Framing- 
ham,  on  the  south-east ;  Westborough,  including 
what  is  now  Xorthborough,  on  the  west,  with 
Shrewsbury,  including  the  two  Boylstons,  still  fur- 
ther in  the  same  direction ;  and  Lancaster,  including 
Harvard,  Bolton,  Sterling,  Berlin,  and  Clinton,  on 
the  north-west ;  and  Stow  on  the  north  ;  while  Marl- 
borough,  the  geographical  centre,  included  Hudson 
and  Southborough.  All  these  towns  were  at  this 
time  in  Middlesex  County ;  Worcester  County  not 


4  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

having  been  incorporated  till  six  years  afterwards,  — 
viz.,  April  2,  1731. 

The  seven  townships  named,  it  will  be  perceived, 
embraced  quite  an  extensive  territory,  at  present 
subdivided  into  more  than  twice  the  number  of  incor- 
porated towns.  With  the  exception  of  Sudbury,  Lan- 
caster, and  Marlborough,  which  were  among  the  early 
settlements  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony,  the  towns 
embraced  within  the  limits  of  the  Marlborough  Asso- 
ciation had  existed  in  their  corporate  capacity  but  a 
few  years.  Framingham  just  a  quarter  of  a  century ; 
Westborough,  eight  years.  Shrewsbury,  although 
supplied  with  a  stated  ministry  from  1723,  did  not 
obtain  an  act  of  incorporation  till  four  years  later, 
1727,  or  two  years  after  the  Marlborough  Associa- 
tion was  formed.  Stow  was  incorporated  May  16, 
1689. 

A  much  larger  territory  was  afterwards  contained 
within  the  limits  of  the  Association.  On  the  north, 
it  embraced  the  towns  of  Acton  and  Boxborough ; 
Concord,  on  the  north-east ;  on  the  south,  Hopkinton 
and  Grafton ;  and,  on  the  west,  Worcester,  Holden, 
and  Rutland,  —  making,  in  all,  twenty-three  incor- 
porated towns.  Leominster,  after  the  act  of  incorpo- 
ration in  1740,  which  separated  it  from  Lancaster, 
was  not  connected  with  the  Marlborough  Associa- 
tion. In  the  absence  of  any  evidence  to  the  contrary, 
which  has  come  to  my  knowledge,  I  presume  that 
the  Marlborough  Association  was  the  first,  in  the 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  5 

order  of  time,  that  was  formed  in  all  this  region. 
The  Mendon  Association,  one  of  the  oldest  out  of 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  Boston,  was  not  formed  till 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  afterwards ;  viz.,  in 
1751.  The  oldest  association  in  the  State  and  in  all 
New  England,  unless  there  was  one  in  the  Old  Colo- 
ny, was,  I  suppose,  that  formed  in  Charlestown  in 
1690,  whose  meetings  were  held  in  the  college  in 
Cambridge  about  once  in  six  weeks.*  This  was  only 
thirty-five  years  earlier  than  the  origin  of  the  Marl- 
borough  Association.  Of  the  associations  in  the  Old 
Colony,  and  on  the  Connecticut  River,  I  have  no 
knowledge. 

It  appears  from  the  records  of  the  Marlborough 
Association,  that  on  the  5th  June,  1725,  a  number  of 
the  ministers  of  the  neighboring  towns,  seven  in  all, 
met  by  appointment  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Robert 
Breck,  the  minister  of  Marlborough ;  and  then  and 
there  associated  themselves  together  under  a  constitu- 
tion to  which  they  affixed  their  names,  which  are  as 
follows  :  — 

Robert  Breck Marlborough. 

John  Swift Framingham. 

Israel  Loring Sudbury. 

John  Gardner Stow. 

John  Prentice Lancaster. 

Job  Gushing Shrewsbury. 

Ebenezer  Parkman Westborough. 

*  History  of  Mendon  Association,  p.  28. 


6  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

To  these  seven  were  subsequently  annexed,  in 
the  order  in  which  they  are  given,  the  following 
names :  — 

Solomon  Prentice Grafton. 

William  Cook East  Sudbury,  now 

Wayland. 

Samuel  Barrett Hopkinton. 

Thomas  Frink Rutland. 

Nathan  Stone Southborough. 

John  Martyn Westborough,  now 

Northborough. 

Aaron  Smith Marlborough. 

Ebenezer  Morse Shrewsbury,  now 

Boylston. 

Thomas  Goss Bolton. 

Joseph  Buckminster Rutland. 

John  Swift Acton. 

Joseph  Davis Holden. 

John  Seccomb Harvard. 

John  Mellen Sterling 

O 

Thaddeus  Macarty Worcester. 

Joseph  Wheeler Harvard. 

Timothy  Harrington Lancaster. 

Josiah  Bridge East  Sudbury,  now 

Wayland. 

Peter  Whitney Northborough. 

Joseph  Willard Boxborough. 

Jacob  Bigelow Sudbury. 

Jonathan  Newell Stow. 

Joel  Foster East  Sudbury,  now 

Wayland. 

Moses  Adams Acton. 

Phineas  Wright Bolton. 

Samuel  Sumner Southborough. 

David  Kellogg Framingham. 

Ezra  Ripley Concord. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  7 

Asa  Packard Marlborough. 

Jeroboam  Parker Southborough. 

Sylvester  Bucklin Marlborough. 

These,  with  the  seven  original  members,  make  in 
all  thirty-eight, — names  intimately  connected  with 
the  history  of  the  several  towns  and  churches  which 
they  represented,  and  no  less  with  the  intellectual 
and  moral  culture,  and  the  social  and  physical  con- 
dition, of  the  successive  generations  who  were  edu- 
cated under  their  ministry,  and  were  guided  by  their 
teachings  and  their  example.  Most  of  them  are 
names  without  reproach,  — names  borne  by  men  who 
were  honored  in  their  day,  and  who  still  live  in  the 
hearts  of  their  descendants,  and  of  those  who  have 
shared  in  the  fruits  of  their  toil.  All  have  departed  : 
not  one  survives.  To  the  generation  now  on  the 
stage  of  action,  how  few  of  those  names  recall  the 
images  of  the  living  men  who  once  bore  them  !  Half 
a  century  ago,  and  down  to  a  somewhat  later  date,  a 
few  venerable  forms  —  the  relics  of  a  former  genera- 
tion—  might  have  been  seen  in  the  college  yard, 
in  Cambridge,  on  Commencement  Day,  standing  in 
groups,  holding  friendly  conference  with  one  another, 
or  walking  to  and  fro  with  a  dignified  gait,  seeking 
out  their  classmates  and  college  acquaintance,  and 
forming  a  very  pleasing  picture  of  the  olden  times. 

I  remember  them  well :  their  erect  forms  and  dig- 
nified bearing  ;  their  quaint  costume  ;  their  silver  or 
gold  headed  canes ;  their  polished  silver  or  steel 


8  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

buckles  for  the  instep  and  the  knee;  their  snow- 
white  bushvvigs,  surmounted  by  the  three-cornered, 
broad-brimmed,  low-crowned  hat ;  their  long-waisted 
coats  and  waistcoats ;  and  their  shortened  nether 
garments,  unsupported  by  the  contrivances  of  modern 
art,  —  all  these  are  fresh  in  my  remembrance,  as 
though  they  were  things  of  yesterday.  Some  of  the 
ministers  whose  names  are  contained  in  the  above 
list  belonged  to  a  later  age ;  and  either  never 
adopted,  or  at  the  time  referred  to  had  laid  aside, 
the  antique  style  of  dress  which  prevailed  all  over 
New  England  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth,  and 
down  so  late  as  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

Of  some  eight  or  ten  of  those  whose  names  are  on 
the  catalogue,  the  writer  of  these  sketches  retains  a 
very  vivid  recollection.  With  five  of  the  number  he 
has  been  on  terms  of  intimacy,  and  has  exchanged 
ministerial  labors  with  them.  From  authentic  history 
and  tradition,  we  learn  that,  in  respect  to  a  fair  pro- 
portion of  the  whole  number,  their  "  praise  was  in  all 
the  churches."  Many  of  them,  it  is  true,  had  their 
foibles  and  faults,  sufficient  at  least  to  show  that  they 
were  men  of  like  passions  with  other  men ;  but,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  it  is  believed  they  were  upright, 
sincere,  devout  men,  serving  God  and  their  genera- 
tion according  to  the  light  that  was  given  them. 
"  Our  fathers,  —  where  are  they?  and  the  prophets, — 
do  they  live  for  ever  ?  " 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  V 

"  Tes,  they  are  gone ;  and  we  are  going  all : 
Like  flowers  we  wither,  and  like  leaves  we  fall." 

But  "  the  righteous  shall  be  had  in  everlasting  re- 
membrance." 

"  And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  bright- 
ness of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
righteousness,  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever." 

The  Marlborough  Association  was  formed,  as  we 
have  seen,  in  1725.  Its  object,  as  stated  in  the 
records,  was  "  to  advance  the  interest  of  Christ, 
the  service  of  our  respective  charges,  and  our  own 
mutual  edification  in  our  great  work."  The  mem- 
bers were  to  meet  four  times  a  year,  Marlborough 
being  selected,  on  account  of  its  central  position,  as 
the  regular  place  of  meeting;  while,  at  the  request 
of  any  member,  a  meeting  might  occasionally  be  held 
in  other  towns. 

Among  the  rules  which  they  adopted,  one  was  "  to 
consider  any  case,  that  might  be  laid  before  them  by 
any  member  or  other  person,  that  should  be  deemed 
proper  to  come  under  their  cognizance."  At  each 
meeting,  moreover,  if  circumstances  permitted,  a 
concio  ad  clerum  was  to  be  delivered  by  the  mem- 
bers in  rotation;  or,  as  a  substitute  for  the  concio, 
some  question,  proposed  at  a  previous  meeting,  was 
to  be  discussed  by  such  members  as  had  been  desig- 
nated for  that  purpose. 

But  however  excellent  the  plan  which  they  adopted, 
and  however  earnest  the  spirit  with  which  they  en- 


10  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

tered  on  their  labors,  their  experience  was  not  much 
unlike  that  of  other  similar  bodies  in  more  recent 
times.  They  had  their  alternations  of  zeal  and  lan- 
guor, of  activity  and  remissness,  of  prosperity  and 
declension.  Accordingly,  some  new  stimulus  and 
extraordinary  efforts  were  occasionally  required  in 
order  to  keep  up  an  interest  in  their  meetings,  and 
"  to  prevent  the  love  of  God  from  dying  out  of  their 
souls."  Thus,  under  date  of  April  9,  1728,  scarcely 
three  years  after  the  Association  was  formed,  the  fol- 
lowing record  was  made:  "There  was  a  general  con- 
cern expressed  touching  our  remissness  in  time  past, 
and  that  we  have  met  with  so  many  obstructions  to 
the  prosecuting  the  great  designs  of  our  Association." 
In  order  to  revive  their  interest  and  to  strengthen 
their  good  resolutions,  it  was  agreed  "  that  the  arti- 
cles of  their  Constitution  should  be  read  and  sub- 
scribed anew  by  all  the  members;  which  accordingly 
was  done,"  followed,  no  doubt,  by  similar  relapses 
and  other  revivals  of  interest,  as  in  the  case  of  all 
associations  composed  of  weak  and  tempted  mortals. 

It  may  serve  to  throw  some  light  on  the  character 
of  the  age,  and  the  state  of  the  New-England 
churches  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  to 
state  a  few  cases  which  were  brought  before  this 
body  for  adjudication. 

The  first  on  the  records  is  one  presented  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Loring,  April  9,  1728,  "respecting  some  inor- 
thodox  opinions,  broached  by  one  Clap,  of  his  church 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  11 

of  West  Sudbury ;  the  said  Clap  imagining  and 
believing  that  we  are  not  beholden  to  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  for  any  satisfaction  made  to  God  by  his  blood, 
except  for  the  sins  against  God's  first  precepts  to 
Adam,  and  the  moral  law ;  but,  as  for  our  sins  under 
the  gospel,  they  are  freely  forgiven  of  God  without 
any  satisfaction."  This  "  very  troublesome  affair," 
as  they  term  it,  was  again  brought  up  at  a  subsequent 
meeting  on  complaint  of  said  Clap,  who,  as  it  seems, 
demurred  at  the  action  of  the  Association,  they  hav- 
ing declared  their  opinion,  that  the  church  in  Sud- 
bury "  had  done  wisely  in  suspending  said  Clap  from 
the  sacrament,  such  doctrines  tending  immediately  to 
subvert  Christian  religion.'!  The  complainant  ex- 
pressed his  readiness  to  leave  the  matter  of  dispute 
to  arbitrators,  —  "  any  persons,"  he  says,  "  ministers 
or  others,  a  smaller  or  greater  number,  as  they 
pleased,  or  a  council  (in  form),  if  they  (the  church) 
so  liked,  to  examine  and  consider  the  case,"  &c. 

With  this  reasonable  request,  the  Association 
advised  Mr.  Loring  and  his  church  to  comply.  How 
the  matter  ended,  the  record  does  not  say. 

The  next  is  a  case  presented  by  Rev.  Mr.  Swift, 
of  Framingham,  and  related  to  a  charge  of  perjury 
brought  by  Colonel  Buckminster  against  three  mem- 
bers of  the  church.  This  case  was  wisely  disposed 
of,  by  advising  that  "Colonel  Buckminster  be  desired 
to  prosecute  them  in  the  common  law,  rather  than 
involve  the  church  in  debates  about  titles  to  lands, 
as  that  affair  will  unavoidably  run  th'jin  into." 


1£  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

At  the  same  meeting,  a  "  Mr.  Axtell,  of  Marlbor- 
ough,  came  in  with  his  complaint  of  being  so  long 
debarred  from  communion  with  the  church  there." 
On  which  complaint,  the  Association  desired  he 
would  acknowledge  what  irregularity  or  unadvised 
management  he  had  known  himself  chargeable  with, 
relating  to  one  T.  O.  [the  initials  only  are  given]. 
Accordingly,  "  the  moderator  drew  up  a  confession, 
and  gave  him  ;  which  he,  being  desired  well  to  con- 
sider of  and  to  sign,  took  with  him  for  those  ends." 
The  result  will  be  found  on  a  following  page. 

The  importance  attached  by  these  good  men  to 
infant  baptism,  and  the  care  taken  to  exclude  from 
the  privilege  all  who  were  not  considered  proper 
subjects  of  the  ordinance,  may  be  inferred  from  the 
following  cases,  which  were  brought  before  the  Asso- 
ciation :  — 

One  case  presented  by  Rev.  Mr.  Parkman  related 
to  a  child  whose  misfortune  it  was  to  be  born  too 
soon  after  the  marriage  of  its  parents.  It  was  asked, 
first,  "  whether  such  a  child  might  be  baptized  ? " 
and,  in  the  second  place,  "  whether  if  the  church 
should,  by  a  great  majority,  express  their  willingness 
to  have  it  baptized,  yet  we  may  proceed  if  three  or 
four  members  offered  objection,  with  plausible  reasons 
to  support  the  same  ? "  The  advice  given  was,  that 
the  child  "  be  baptized." 

Another  case,  presented  by  Mr.  Gushing,  of 
Shrewsbury  (June  23,  1741),  for  advice,  was, 


MAKLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  13 

"  whether  he  ought  to  baptize  a  child  whose  parent 
(the  father)  is  reported  to  be  an  Arminian,  perhaps 
an  Arian  ? "  Mr.  Gushing  is  advised  not  to  do  it, 
"  without  making  diligent  inquiry  into  both  his  con- 
duct and  faith ;  "  and  they  further  remark,  "  The 
already  common  report  is  supposed  to  be  sufficient 
ground  for  such  inquiry." 

Another  case  was  submitted,  June  11,  1745,  by 
Rev.  Joseph  Buckminster,  of  Rutland,  father  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Buckminster,  of  Portsmouth,  asking  advice 
"  respecting  his  gratifying  a  Presbyterian  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland,"  a  stiff  old  Covenanter  no 
doubt,  "  with  administering  the  ordinance  in  the  form 
and  manner  of  that  church."  It  was  agreed,  that, 
"  though  great  condescension  and  catholic  charity 
and  unity  were  much  to  be  recommended  and  prac- 
tised, yet,  upon  hearing  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  they  were  of  the  opinion,  that  Mr.  Buckminster, 
for  the  present,  strictly  adhere  to  our  own  customs," 
stiff  old  Congregationalists  as  they  were,  "  discharg- 
ing faithfully  his  duty  of  public  preaching  on  that 
sacrament,  setting  forth  the  duties  of  parents  in 
offering  their  children,  and  privately  and  personally 
instructing  and  charging  those  parents  who  do,  from 
time  to  time,  present  their  desires,"  &c. 

The  next  case  is  somewhat  more  complicated ;  and 
the  decision,  though  apparently  harsh,  shows  that 
the  baptism  of  infants  was  not  then  regarded  as  an 
unmeaning  ceremony. 


14  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Rev.  Joseph  Davis,  of  Holden  (Aug.  17,  1745), 
"  proposed  a  case  relating  to  a  base-born  child,  whose 
mother  was  now  dead,  without  any  confession  or 
sense  of  her  sin;  nay,"  as  the  relator  testifies, 
"  without  so  much  as  mention  of  it  to  him  at  any 
time  of  her  sickness,  though  she  died  of  consumption, 
and  lay  some  time,  and  he  was  sundry  times  with 
her :  but  she  gave  her  child  to  a  sister  ("  of  none 
of  the  best  behavior,"  it  is  added  in  a  parenthesis), 
who,  that  it  might  be  baptized,  gives  it  to  her  mother  ; 
and  now  the  grandmother  offers  it  accordingly." 
The  question  to  be  decided  was,  "  Has  this  child  a 
right,  on  the  account  of  the  grandmother  ?  and  may 
it  be  baptized  ?  "  —  "  It  was  answered  in  the  negative, 
and  that  the  child  be  not  baptized,  unless  the  grand- 
mother (as  another  person  will)  in  special  and  solemn 
manner  declare  and  promise,  that  she  will  engage 
for  its  education  (as  another  might),  and  if  the  grand- 
mother be  trusty  and  faithful." 

Under  date  of  May  13,  1729,  we  find  the  follow- 
ing record,  which  appears  to  relate  to  some  case  of 
peculiar  hardship  or  suffering,  which  appealed  to  the 
sympathy  and  compassion  of  the  brethren :  "  Rev. 
Oliver  Peabody  (pastor  of  the  Indian  Church  in 
Natick)  gave  us  the  present  circumstances  of  Mr. 
Cotton,  at  Providence;"  and,  on  the  following  July, 
"  the  Association  requested  Rev.  Mr.  Baxter,  of  Med- 
field,  who  had  been  the  receiver  of  the  Providence 
subscriptions,  who  was  present,  to  look  into  that 


MARLBOR0UGH    ASSOCIATION.  15 

account,  and  call  for  what  was  yet  behind."  Then  it 
is  added,  "  Upon  his  doing  so,  every  one  present 
paid  the  full  of  his  subscription ; "  reminding  us  of 
the  practice  of  the  early  disciples. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  brethren  at  Lancaster,  April 
6,  1731,  it  was  agreed  "to  turn  the  Association 
meetings  into  fasts,  for  the  reviving  religion  and 
imploring  the  Divine  blessing  upon  the  rising  genera- 
tion." This  was  done ;  and  the  course  lasted  till  the 
June  of  the  following  year,  the  ministers  preaching 
in  rotation. 

Under  date  of  Oct.  16,  1733,  Framingham,  we 
find  the  following  record  :  "  The  Rev.  Mr.  Swift 
had  invited  the  Southern  Association  (which  were  to 
have  met  this  day  at  his  son's-in-law,  Mr.  Stone's  of 
Holliston),  by  which  means  we  had  the  benefit  of 
their  advice  and  assistance  in  the  difficulty  before  us, 
relating  to  Mr.  Benjamin  Kent,  ordained  at  Marlbor- 
ough ;  great  complaint  being  made,  about  the 
world,  of  his  principles.  Mr.  Kent  was  present,  and 
very  freely  submitted  himself  to  our  inquiries  and 
examinations.  Mr.  Loring  interrogated  upon  the 
Articles  drawn  up  in  New-England  Confession  of 
Faith,  chiefly  relating  to  the  controversy  with  the 
Remonstrants  :  and  he  gave  such  a  declaration  of  his 
belief,  and  with  such  professions  of  honesty  and 
sincerity  in  all,  that  the  Association  manifested  their 
satisfaction  therein,  upon  condition  they  should  find, 
that  both  his  preaching  and  conversation  had  been, 


16  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

and  should  for  the  future  be,  agreeable  to  such 
declaration ;  in  short,  as  long  as  they  should  see  that 
what  he  had  exhibited  were  his  real  sentiments."  It 
would  seem,  from  this  somewhat  equivocal  testimo- 
nial, that  it  was  with  some  doubts  and  misgivings  as 
to  the  soundness  of  Mr.  Kent's  faith,  or  other 
ministerial  qualifications,  that  they  regarded  their 
young  brother  from  Marlborough.  Mr.  Kent  re- 
mained the  minister  of  Marlborough  but  little  more 
than  one  year,  having  been  dismissed,  by  mutual 
consent,  in  February,  1735.  His  dismission  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  state  of  anarchy  and  division  in  the 
church,  that  prevented  the  settlement  of  a  minister 
for  the  space  of  four  years. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Association  at  Hassenemisco 
(as  the  name  is  spelt  in  the  records),  the  Indian 
name  of  Grafton,  Oct.  29,  1734,  a  letter  from  the 
Presbytery  at  Londonderry,  N.H.,  to  be  communi- 
cated to  the  Association,  touching  a  brotherly  and 
Christian  agreement  and  communion  between  Con- 
gregationalists  and  Presbyterians,  was  read  and  re- 
ferred' to  consideration  to-morrow  morning,  Oct.  30. 
"  Voted,  That  an  answer  be  prepared  to  be  sent  to 
the  Rev.  Presbytery  aforesaid,  expressing  our  readi- 
ness to  comply  with  their  request ;  but,"  it  is  added, 
"  not  without  complaining  of,  and  resenting,  the  dis- 
orders of  late  in  several  Scotch  assemblies  in  those 
parts,  and  irregular  administrations  of  the  holy  com- 
munion ;  "  which  accordingly  was  done. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  17 

Lancaster,  Aug.  26,  1735. — Several  members  of 
the  Association  asked  advice  respecting  the  dismis- 
sion of  such  members  as  requested  it  from  their  own 
churches  where  they  dwell,  if  (or  because)  they  have 
not  ruling  elders,  to  such  churches  in  other  towns 
where  they  have,  but  yet  craving  liberty  of  occa- 
sional communion.  Many  reasons  were  offered 
against  this  practice ;  and  therefore,  as  the  record 
reads,  "  it  could  not  be  advised  to  by  any  means." 

It  appears,  that,  about  this  time,  the  Convention  of 
Congregationalist  Ministers,  at  their  annual  meeting 
in  Boston,  had  passed  a  vote,  "  touching  the  exam- 
ination of  candidates  for  the  ministry,  previous  to 
their  admission  into  our  pulpits."  In  accordance 
with  this  vote,  the  Association  (Aug.  27,  1735) 
agreed,  that  they  would  not  "  invite  any  person  to 
preach,  nor  countenance  any  one's  preaching,  till  he 
has  passed  through  an  examination,  by  this  or  some 
other  Association,  into  his  qualifications  for  the  min- 
isterial work."  The  subject  had  been  introduced 
and  discussed  at  a  previous  meeting,  when  "  the 
members  present  were  desired  to  prepare  their  minds 
respecting  so  weighty  an  affair,  and  concerning  par- 
ticularly the  best  manner  of  examination,  so  as  to  be 
secure  against  deceit  and  evasion" 

On  the  inquiry,  "What  are  the  qualifications  of  a 
candidate  for  the  ministry,"  they  reply  :  "  lie  must 
be,  —  1.  Learned;  2.  Orthodox;  3.  Of  good  con- 
versation. 

2 


18  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Under  the  first  head  are  specified,  —  1st,  Knowl- 
edge of  the  principles  of  the  Christian  religion,  and 
some  considerable  degree  of  aptness  and  expertness 
to  teach;  2d,  Acquaintance  with  the  tongues,  arts 
and  sciences,  &c. 

Under  the  second  head,  we  are  simply  referred  to 
"  our  Confession  of  Faith." 

Under  the  third  head,  he  must  be,  —  1st,  Of  sober, 
honest,  pious,  behavior ;  and,  2d,  Of  prudence  in 
conduct.  These  '*  heads  "  were  "  voted  to  be  our 
general  rule  in  examination  of  candidates." 

At  the  same  meeting  when  these  rules  were 
adopted,  a  proposal  was  made  by  Rev.  Mr.  Frink,  of 
Rutland,  for  forming  a  Consociation  in  the  county 
of  Worcester,  which  was  "  considered  and  left  to 
further  consideration  still." 

As  we  hear  nothing  further  of  this  project,  we 
conclude  that  no  further  attempt  was  made  to 
introduce  this  new  form  of  church  government  into 
Worcester  County.  Mr.  Frink  was  dismissed  from 
his  charge  in  Rutland  four  years  afterwards  (1740), 
was  resettled  a  short  time  in  Plymouth,  installed  at 
Barre  in  1753,  whence  he  was  again  dismissed  in 
1766. 

June  14,  1737.  —  "  The  conversation  turned 
very  much  upon  the  wonderful  power  and  grace 
of  God  where  he  has  been  pleased  to  work  a 
revival  of  religion."  Again,  Aug.  13,  "Conversa- 
tion turned  upon  the  remarkable  dispensations  of 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  19 

Divine  Providence  in   the   world   within   some   few 
last  years." 

August,  1738.  —  "A  proposal  and  request  came 
from  Rev.  Mr.  Adams,  of  Lunenburg,  to  the  effect, 
that  the  Association  should  dismiss  Rev.  Mr.  Pren- 
tice, of  Lancaster,  "  in  order,  it  is  suggested,  to  join- 
ing with  a  number  of  ministers  in  the  north,  who 
were  endeavoring  to  form  into  one." — "  But  on  con- 
sideration," the  record  proceeds,  "  that  our  number 
was  not  large  in  the  whole,  but  that  the  number  who 
commonly  associated  was  but  six  or  seven,  while  they 
who  were  ready  to  join  and  make  up  their  number 
were  nigh  as  many  as  we,  and  great  likelihood  of 
much  enlargement,  which  we  could  not  have  in  ours 
in  any  proportion  to  them,  it  was  declined" 

The  old  difficulty  relating  to  Mr.  Axtell,  of  Marl- 
borough,  came  up  again  June  19,  1739,  when  Mr. 
Axtell  himself  appeared,  accompanied  by  Deacon 
Keyes  and  Mr.  Daniel  Steward.  "  Upon  which 
there  was  much  debate,  and  long  and  affectionate 
reasoning  with  Mr.  Axtell,  but  to  little  purpose." 
Again,  Aug.  29,  the  case  was  disposed  of  by  a  vote, 
recommending  to  the  church  of  Marlborough  that  it 
might  be  best  to  extend  their  compassions  towards 
him,  and,  he  having  removed  his  habitation  to 
Grafton,  to  dismiss  him  thereto." 

But  the  matter  did  not  rest  here.  For,  the  follow- 
ing year  (April,  1740),  two  messengers  from  the 
church  in  Grafton  (Captain  Joseph  Willard  and 


20  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Deacon  Cooper)  waited  upon  the  Association  at  Lan- 
caster (having  travelled  about  twenty  miles),  asking 
advice  "  touching  the  admission  of  Mr.  Thomas  Ax- 
tell  into  their  communion,  upon  the  dismission  which 
he  had  obtained  from  the  church  of  Maryborough, 
it  being  without  any  recommendation,  for  want  of 
which  they  thought  it  lean  and  imperfect ;  and  they 
supposed  they  could  discover,  from  the  form  of  the 
draught  of  the  Marlborough  vote,  a  design  to  exhibit 
no  other  than  what  was  the  most  slender  and  indiffer- 
ent." The  Association  advised,  in  a  written  commu- 
nication addressed  to  the  church  in  Grafton,  "  that 
they  receive  Mr.  Axtell."  Thus  ended,  so  far  as 
we  are  informed,  this  troublesome  affair. 

The  Marlborough  Association,  as  is  evident  from 
their  records,  was,  at  least  during  the  period  now 
under  review,  a  living,  working  body.  The  meetings 
appear  to  have  been  well  attended  ;  and  the  exercises 
were  varied  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  times. 

Besides  the  fasts,  the  concio,  and  the  questions  of 
theology  and  casuistry,  and  cases  of  church  discipline, 
to  which  they  attended,  they  voted  in  June,  1739, 
"  that  every  member  make  and  bring  written  collec- 
tions of  what  remarkable  occurs  in  his  reading, 
studies,  conversation,  &c.,  from  one  time  of  Associa- 
tion to  another,  and  communicate  the  same  for  our 
mutual  emolument  and  advantage."  Accordingly, 
this  was  done  for  several  years,  though  irregularly, 
and  sometimes  after  long  intervals. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Some  of  the  questions  brought  before  them  may 
seem  to  us  impertinent  or  puerile,  and  unworthy  the 
attention  of  so  grave  and  dignified  a  body.  Such 
are  several  of  the  questions  already  cited,  and  many 
others  of  a  like  character  are  contained  in  the 
records.  As  characteristic  of  the  times,  they  are  not 
unworthy  our  notice. 

One,  proposed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Loring,  of  Sudbury, 
was  "  touching  the  proof  of  a  person's  being  drunk." 
Another,  by  the  same,  ' '  Whether  it  is  lawful  for  a 
man  to  marry  his  wife's  sister  ? "  a  question  not  yet 
definitely  settled,  we  believe,  in  the  ecclesiastical 
courts  of  England  or  our  own  country.  Mr.  Bridge, 
of  East  Sudbury,  proposed  a  case,  "  Whether  a  man 
might  marry  his  wife's  sister's  daughter  ? "  The 
answer  was,  "  We  know  of  no  special  law  of  God, 
but  yet  it  was  so  near  as  that  the  man  should  ex- 
ercise his  best  wisdom  and  prudence;"  excellent 
advice,  which,  however,  is  not  always  heeded  in 
such  matters. 

Oct.  19,  1743.  —  The  following  significant  notice 
appears  on  the  records  :  "  Mr.  Goddard,  of  Leices- 
ter, preached  yesterday  at  the  Itinerant  Preacher's 
Meeting-house  in  Framingham,  both  A.  and  p.  M., 
to  our  sorrow."  From  Whitney's  "  History  of 
Worcester  County,"  we  learn  that  this  Mr.  Goddard 
died  a  few  years  afterwards  (1754)  at  Framingham, 
being  seized  with  a  fever  while  on  a  journey  to  that 
place,  in  the  forty-eighth  year  of  his  age  and  thir- 
teenth of  his  ministry. 


«»  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

While  the  principal  attention  of  the  Association 
was  directed  to  the  affairs  of  the  churches  within 
their  own  jurisdiction,  they  did  not  forget  their 
brethren  without,  or  overlook  the  spiritual  destitu- 
tion of  places  less  favored  than  their  own. 

April  14,  1741.  — "Rev.  Mr.  Hall,  of  Sutton, 
present,  and  related  somewhat  of  the  melancholy 
state  of  Smithfield  in  Providence,  being  much  with- 
out the  gospel."  —  "  Voted  by  the  Association,  that 
Mr.  Parkman  be  desired  to  go  with  Mr.  Hall  and 
Mr.  Webb  to  Smithfield,  to  inquire  into  the  state  of 
religion  there,  and  whether  any  thing  can  be  done 
to  promote  the  kingdom  of  Christ  among  them ;  and 
that  Mr.  Prentice  be  desired  to  write  to  Mr.  Webb  " 
(Rev.  Nathan  Webb,  of  Uxbridge),  "to  inform  him 
hereof." 

The  Association  was  also  occasionally  applied 
to  for  advice  in  difficulties  between  pastors  and 
churches,  beyond  its  own  limits ;  an  evidence  of  the 
respect  which  it  commanded,  and  of  the  deference 
which  was  paid  to  it. 

Oct.  28,  1740.  — "Rev.  Mr.  Dorr,  of  Mendon 
(who  was  occasionally  with  us),  asked  advice  of  the 
Association  under  his  and  his  church's  difficulties." 
And  again,  in  August  of  the  following  year,  "  Rev. 
Mr.  Dorr  and  Mr.  Rawson,  of  South  Hadley  [were] 
present  for  advice  respecting  some  difficulties  arising 
among  them,  in  each  of  their  flocks."  Rev.  Joseph 
Dorr  is  said  to  have  been  "  the  projector  and  first 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  23 

moderator  of  the  Mendon  Association  "  (see  His- 
tory cff  the  Mendon  Association,  p.  86).  Three  of 
the  grandsons  of  IVIr.  Dorr  were  respectable  mer- 
chants and  honored  citizens  of  Boston. 

In  the  following  extract,  reference  is  made  to 
difficulties  in  the  church  at  Concord,  of  the  nature 
of  which  we  are  not  informed.  June  19,  1744. — 
"  Conversation  turned  very  much  upon  Concord 
circumstances,  and  what  may  be  advisable  for  the 
neighboring  ministers  and  churches  to  do,  if  the 
members  of  Concord  should  desire  occasional  com- 
munion." 

"  The  chief  conversation  at  one  of  the  meetings 
[Lancaster,  Oct.  20,  1741]  was  upon  the  works  of 
God  among  us,  the  unusual  flood  of  water  by  the 
late  rains,  there  having  been  no  such  flood  in  Lan- 
caster for  twenty  years ;  also  the  wondrous  influence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  of  late,  in  some  parts  of  the 
land;  also  the  greater  success  of  the  gospel  of  late 
in  Sudbury,  and  more  numerous  additions  to  the 
church  there,"  &c.  And  the  following  year,  April 
13,  1742,  after  a  sermon  by  Rev.  Solomon  Prentice, 
of  Grafton,  the  record  states  that  "  conference  after 
turned  upon  some  passages  of  the  sermon  against 
such  ministers  as  oppose  the  present  work  of  God." 
On  another  occasion  (April  13,  1743),  we  learn 
that  this  Mr.  Prentice  took  exception  to  some  senti- 
ments advanced  by  Rev.  Mr.  Barrett,  of  Ilopkin- 
ton,  in  a  sermon  preached  at  Wcstborough  on  the 


24  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

previous  February,  at  a  fast,  on  John  x.  27,  28 
("  My  sheep  hear  my  voice,"  &c.).  "  Upon  which, 
Mr.  Barrett  was  desired  to  repeat  said  sermon, 
which  he  did ;  and  Mr.  Prentice  was  requested  to 
make  his  exceptions  anew  and  distinctly,  but  an- 
swered that  the  sermon  did  not  appear  to  him  as 
it  did  at  first  hearing ;  yet  a  reconcilement  between 
these  gentlemen  was  not  accomplished." 

After  this,  as  appears  from  the  records,  Mr.  Pren- 
tice commonly  absented  himself  from  the  meetings 
of  the  Association ;  till  at  length,  at  a  meeting  held  in 
Marlborough,  Jan.  22,  1745,  —  at  which  time  "Mr. 
Morse,  of  Boylston,  and  Mr.  Mellen,  of  Sterling, 
upon  their  desire,  were  admitted  members  of  the 
Association,"  —  that  body  having  drawn  up  and 
signed,  in  order  to  the  publication  of  it,  what  is 
called  "A  Testimony  against  Mr.  Whitefield  and  his 
Conduct,"  "  Mr.  Prentice,  of  Grafton,  desired  to  be 
dismissed  from  the  Association,  and  have  his  name 
raized  out  of  the  Association's  books;  which  was 
consented  to." 

We  learn  from  Whitney's  "  History  of  Worcester 
County,"  p.  167,  that  Mr.  Prentice  became  what 
was  called  in  that  day  "  a  zealous  New  Light,  or, 
more  properly,"  the  historian  remarks,  "  a  raving 
enthusiast."  He  was  dismissed,  we  are  told,  from 
Grafton,  July  8,  1747,  and  became  an  itinerant 
preacher."  It  should  have  been  added  to  this  state- 
ment, that  Mr.  Prentice  was  installed  pastor  of  the 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  25 

church  in  Easton  on  the  following  November  (Nov. 
18,  1747).  We  learn  moreover,  from  Emery's 
"  Ministry  of  Taunton,"  that  Mr.  Prentice  (born  in 
Cambridge,  May  11,  1705,  H.C.  1727)  had  a  short, 
stormy,  and  unsatisfactory  ministry  in  Easton.  A 
council  was  called  in  1752,  which  sat  two  days;  but 
the  result  was  not  satisfactory  to  either  party,  at  least 
it  failed  to  bring  about  a  reconciliation.  At  length, 
Mr.  Prentice,  with  a  majority  of  the  church,  joined 
a  presbytery,  but  with  no  better  result.  "  The  pres- 
bytery at  a  session  in  Easter,  Nov.  12,  1754,  judged 
Mr.  Prentice  unqualified  for  '  the  office  of  a  bishop,' 
and  gave  him  a  temporary  discharge  from  pastoral 
labor."  Mr.  Prentice  complains  of  this  treatment  as 
harsh  and  unkind,  in  the  following  terms  :  "  Because 
I  had  received  a  few  of  my  fellow-creatures  (and 
fellow-Christians  so  far  as  I  knew)  into  my  house, 
and  suffered  them  to  pray  and  talk  about  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  could  not  make  any  acknowledgment  to 
some  of  my  brethren  who  were  offended  thereat, 
nor  to  the  presbytery,  Voted,  That  he,  the  said  S. 
Prentice,  be  suspended,  &c.  Because  by  said  vote  I 
was  deprived  of  the  small  subsistence  I  had  among 
my  people  in  Easton,  I  thought  it  necessary  for  the 
honor  of  God  and  good  of  my  family  to  remove  to 
Grafton ;  which  accordingly  was  done,  April  9, 
1755."  Mr.  Prentice  died  in  Grafton,  May  22, 
1773,  aged  sixty-eight. 

Aug.  16,  1848,  the  Association  voted,  "  That,  from 


XO  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

the  next  spring  and  forwards,  the  meetings  of  the 
Association  be  turned  into  fasts,  for  the  prevention 
of  further  degeneracy,  the  reviving  religion,  and 
the  advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."  The  question  had  been  proposed  at  a 
former  meeting,  "What  shall  best  be  done  in  our 
several  flocks  for  the  preventing  the  awful  threatening 
degeneracy  and  backsliding  in  religion  in  the  present 
day?"  and  the  subject  bad  been  committed  to  four  of 
their  number,  —  Rev.  Messrs.  Loring,  Gushing,  Park- 
man,  and  Stone  (Stone,  of  Southborough)  ;  who,  at  a 
meeting  in  Holden,  Aug.  15,  1748,  made  an  elabo- 
rate report,  embodying,  we  are  told,  "  the  sum  and 
substance  of  the  answers  given  by  the  Association  at 
several  meetings  in  the  year  1747."  This  report 
was  adopted  Aug.  16,  1748  ;  and  it  is  no  more  than 
justice  to  say  of  it,  that  it  is  drawn  up  with  a  good 
deal  of  ability,  and  contains  thoughts  and  suggestions 
of  weighty  import,  and  such  as  are  adapted  to  all 
times. 

I  have  already  spoken  of  the  care  taken  in  the 
examination  of  candidates,  to  guard  the  pulpit 
against  abuse.  At  the  examination  of  Mr.  John 
Martyn,  of  Bolton  (afterwards  the  worthy  minister 
of  Northborough),  Mr.  Gardner,  of  Stow  (the 
former  residence  of  Mr.  Martyn),  made  some  objec- 
tions against  him,  which  led  to  a  debate  in  the 
Association,  and  a  private  conference  between  Mr. 
Gardner  and  the  candidate,  which  resulted  in  a 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  27 

reconciliation,  and  a  certificate  of  approbation  signed 
by  every  member  of  the  Association  present.  At 
the  next  meeting,  however,  which  was  at  Bolton, 
June  11,  Mr.  Martyn,  it  seems,  had  advanced  some 
sentiments,  in  an  exercise  on  Matt.  xvi.  27,  delivered 
before  the  Association,  which  were  received  with 
some  doubts  and  misgivings  in  respect  to  their 
soundness.  The  record  says,  under  date  of  June 
12,  "  Conference  with  Mr.  Martyn,  on  his  sermon 
yesterday,  which  contained  some  expressions  which 
'twas  thought  needed  further  opening ;  and,  in  said 
exercise,  he  advanced  some  notions  of  the  future 
state  and  of  the  last  day  which  were  conceived  to  be 
very  new,  and  not  easily  to  be  come  into.  After  not 
a  little  discourse  thereon,  he  said  he  would  take 
those  things  into  further  thought."  And  afterwards, 
Oct.  15,  1745,  when  an  application  was  made  to  the 
Association  by  the  people  of  Northborough  (then 
the  second  precinct  in  Westborough)  for  advice  in 
regard  to  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Martyn,  who  had 
preached  among  them  to  their  great  acceptance,  the 
Association,  after  saying  that  "  they  know  not  why 
they  might  not  proceed  with  reference  to  Mr.  Mar- 
tyn," add  the  following  remark  :  "  But  it  is  to  be 
noted,  that  the  Association  (first  of  all)  received 
satisfaction  from  Mr.  Martyn  touching  the  sermon 
which  he  had  delivered  at  BoJton  ;  and  this  was  by 
a  retraction  of  the  sentiments  contained  therein, 
Avhich  was  signed  by  his  own  hand ; "  and  then 


£0  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

they  refer  to  a  document  "  among  the  loose  papers." 
It  would  be  interesting  to  know  what  were  the 
heterodox  views  Mr.  Martyn  had  advanced,  in  the 
sermon  at  Bolton,  respecting  "  the  future  state  and 
the  last  day." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Association  at  Marlborough, 
April  12,  1748,  "  Mr.  Morse,  of  Boylston,  men- 
tioned his  circumstances  and  manner  of  living  among 
his  people,  for  now  above  a  year,  without  a  salary  or 
assessment  made  to  pay  him  any  thing,  and  would 
be  glad  of  advice." 

At  the  same  meeting,  in  the  evening,  a  letter 
addressed  to  the  Association  was  handed  in,  written 
by  a  Mr.  William  Jennison,  a  schoolmaster  at  this 
time  in  Marlborough ;  to  which  a  reply  was  made  in 
writing,  signed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Gushing,  of  Shrews- 
bury, which  seems  to  have  been  not  very  palatable 
to  the  said  Jennison,  as  it  provoked  a  rejoinder, 
which  is  spoken  of  in  the  records  in  the  following 
terms  :  "  N.B.  —  A  contemptuous  letter  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Jennison  was  treated  with  the  neglect  it  de- 
served." 

At  a  meeting  in  Holden,  Aug.  16,  1748,  "Mr. 
Harrington  laid  his  case,  with  respect  to  his  relation 
to  his  late  church  at  Askuelot,  Keene,  N.H.  (now 
scattered  into  all  parts  of  the  country  by  reason  of 
the  war),  before  the  Association ;  he  having  received 
a  call  from  Lancaster  First  Parish  to  resettle  in  the 
gospel  ministry." 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  29 

At  the  same  meeting,  "another  contemptuous 
letter,"  as  it  is  called,  "  signed  by  William  Jennison, 
treated  with  deserved  neglect." 

It  appears,  that,  besides  the  instance  already 
mentioned,  on  two  subsequent  occasions,  —  namely, 
about  the  years  1749  and  1758,  —  the  meetings  of 
the  Association  were  converted  into  fasts :  in  the 
former  case,  "for  preventing  further  degeneracy," 
&c. ;  in  the  latter,  "  considering  the  great  increase 
of  the  public  troubles  and  dangers."  This,  it  will  be 
observed,  was  about  the  time  of  the  repulse  of  the 
English,  under  Abercrombie,  at  Ticonderoga,  which, 
it  is  well  known,  cast  a  gloom  over  the  English  colo- 
nies. 

The  following  year  (April  17,  1759),  another 
series  of  fasts  was  appointed,  agreeably  to  the  fol- 
lowing vote :  "  Whether,  considering  the  present 
aspects  of  Providence  with  respect,  not  only  to  Great 
Britain  and  its  allies,  but  to  these  American  govern- 
ments, we  judge  it  suitable  to  recommend  to  the 
several  congregations  to  join  with  us  in  keeping 
days  for  prayer  and  fasting  ?  Voted  unanimously." 
On  the  following  June,  a  fast  was  appointed  by  the 
public  authorities  to  be  held  throughout  the  pro- 
vince. 

The  following  record  appears  under  date  of  Aug. 
28,  1759  :  "  There  was  no  meeting  at  Mr.  Macarty's 
(Worcester),  by  reason  of  so  great  a  meeting  there 
the  week  before,  at  the  time  of  the  court,  when  Mr. 


30  MARLBOROUGH   ASSOCIATION. 

Rogers  and  the  town  of  Leominster  had  their  case 
tried."  * 

Oct.  21,  1760,  Mr.  Gardner,  of  Stow,  stated  in 
his  concio  from  2  Kings  xiii.  20,  "  that,  of  late,  six 
ministers,  within  his  knowledge,  had  died,"  whom  he 
thus  designates :  "  Venerable  Mr.  Stoddard  (H.C. 
1697),  of  Woodbury  ;  venerable  Allen  (H.C.  1703), 
of  Greenland  ;  Rev.  Messrs.  Trowbridge  (H.C. 
1710),  of  Groton;  Hemingway  (H.C.  1730),  of 
Townshend  ;  Gushing  (H.C.  1714),  of  Shrewsbury  ; 
and  Joseph  Seccomb  (H.C.  1731),  of  Kingstown," 
formerly  of  Harvard. 

Under  date  of  June  16,  1762  (Lancaster),  we 
find  the  following  memorandum  :  "  The  Scribe  hav- 
ing received  from  Mr.  Marsh,  one  of  the  tutors  of 
Harvard  College,  Dr.  Leland's  '  View  of  Deistical 
Writers,'  in  3  vols.  8vo,  a  present  from  Rev.  Dr. 
Hales,  Clerk  of  the  Closet  to  Her  Royal  Highness 
the  Princess  Dowager  of  Wales,  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Thomas  Wilson,  Prebendary  of  Westminster  and 
Rector  of  Walbrook,  London,  which  benefaction 
was  put  into  the  hands  of  the  Corporation  of  the 
above-mentioned  college  for  distribution,  and  accord- 
ingly sent  to  us  this  set,  the  Association  was  informed 
of  it,  and  one  of  the  volumes  offered ;  upon  which 
thanks  voted  to  be  returned  to  Mr.  Marsh,"  &c. 

*  Rev.  John  Rogers  was  the  first  minister  of  Leominster.  He 
was  dismissed  for  heresy  in  1758;  and  in  1759  commenced  a  suit  for 
arrearages  of  salary,  and  finally  obtained  a  favorable  decision  in  court, 
which  is  the  case  referred  to  in  the  text. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  31 

"The  Association  voted,  that  each  member  have 
them,  in  his  order,  for  the  space  of  two  months,  to 
read  them,  and  is  obliged  then  to  send  the  volumes 
carefully  to  his  next  junior." 

Sept.  19,  1775.  —  "Conversation  was  upon  the 
general  distresses ;  viz.,  by  the  war,  and  by  the 
terrible  sickness  (the  dysentery).  N.B.  —  In  Marl- 
borough  four  have  been  buried  in  a  day,  —  three 
times  this  has  occurred,  —  and  nineteen  have  been 
buried  in  a  week.  The  ministers  were  agreed  to 
recommend  the  keeping  fasts  in  our  respective  par- 
ishes." 

Aug.  19,  1777.  —  "The  public  calamities  are  so 
increased,  and  the  occurrences  have  been  of  late 
so  very  observable,  various,  and  distressing,  that  our 

*  The  following  items,  for  which  I  am  indebted  to  Rev.  E.  E.  Hale, 
of  Boston,  are  taken  from  the  records  of  the  Corporation  of  Harvard 
College :  After  a  vote  of  thanks  acknowledging  the  present  of  a  hun- 
dred and  one  copies  of  "  Leland  "  from  Dr.  Hales  and  Mr.  Wilson,  the 
records  go  on:  "And  that,  whereas  the  only  direction  which  came 
with  the  same  present  was,  '  To  the  Rev.  President  and  Fellows  of  the 
Colleges  in  New  England,'  that  the  said  gentlemen  be  desired  to  explain 
themselves,  —  whether  they  meant  the  said  present  wholly  to  the  col- 
leges in  Cambridge  (which  are  indeed  three  buildings,  yet  but  one  body 
corporate),  or  nny  pnrt  of  it  to  any  other  colleges  in  New  England." 
Subsequently  (Oct.  6,  1761),  this  entry  was  made  in  the  records  of  the 
Corporation:  "That,  whereas  there  is  a  number  of  Dr.  Leland's 
'  View,'  &c.,  put  into  the  hands  of  the  Corporation,  to  be  disposed  of 
ns  they  shall  judge  proper;  in  order,  therefore,  to  render  the  said 
valuable  work  more  extensively  useful,  rated,  That  one  set  of  octavo 
books  be  given  to  the  several  associations  of  ministers  in  the  Province, 
and  that  the  said  set  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  senior  minister  of 
the  respective  associations,  to  be  by  him  lent  out  to  the  several  minis- 
ters of  the  said  associations;  and,  when  that  senior  minister  dies  or  is 
removed,  to  be  lodged  with  the  next  senior  minister  from  time  to  time." 


32  MARYBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

whole  time  was  taken  up  with  conversations  thereon, 
together  with  what  Mr.  Smith  has  lately  met  with  at 
Maryborough,  several  guns  having  been  shot  into  his 
study  at  midnight,  as  if  aimed  to  take  away  his  life ; 
but  he  survived  unhurt." 

The  trials  of  ministers  during  the  war  seem  to 
have  been  peculiarly  great.  Owing  to  the  deprecia- 
tion of  the  currency,  their  small  salaries  were  reduced 
to  a  mere  pittance ;  and,  owing  to  this  and  other 
causes,  many  ministers  were  brought  into  collision 
with  their  parishes,  and  lost  their  livings  and  their 
places. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Association  at  Stow,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1778,  Mr.  Stone,  of  Southborough,  read 
the  conclusion  of  a  sermon  —  probably  a  manuscript 
sermon  of  his  own  —  on  murder,  but  in  special,"  as 
it  is  explained,  "  on  a  peculiar  kind  of  murder ; 
viz.,  the  murdering  ministers  by  withholding  support 
and  destroying  their  characters." 

Oct.  19, 1779.  —  "The  Association  were  requested 
by  Rev.  Messrs.  Bridge  of  East  Sudbury,  and  Bige- 
low,  of  Sudbury,  to  enter  into  some  serious  con- 
sideration of  the  burden  and  wrong  the  ministers, 
and  they  themselves  in  particular,  labored  under,  on 
account  of  the  depreciation  of  the  medium,  and  no 
proportional  provision  made  for  their  support." 

This  indifference  to  religion  and  neglect  of  the 
ministry  afford  a  good  illustration  of  the  principle, 
that  seasons  of  public  calamity  are  not  commonly  the 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  33 

most  propitious  to  the  growth  and  prosperous  condi- 
tion of  the  churches. 

Aug.  21,  1781.  —  Mr.  Adams,  of  Acton,  gave  the 
Association  an  account  of  the  strange  conduct  and 
temper  of  a  number  of  people  who  were  come  to 
Harvard,  who  are  called  "  Shakers,"  and  under  the 
guidance  of  an  "  elect  lady." 

We  come  down  at  length  to  more  quiet  and  pros- 
perous times,  —  those  immediately  preceding  the 
war  of  1812.  It  was  in  the  early  part  of  the 
present  century  that  several  of  those  philanthropic 
institutions,  which  have  for  their  object  the  diffusion 
and  influence  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  entered 
on  their  beneficent  course.  Of  one  of  these,  the 
Evangelical  Missionary  Society,  of  Mass.,  the  origin 
is  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Marlborough 
Association.  In  September  of  the  year  1806,  a 
Committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Whitney,  of  North - 
borough ;  Adams,  of  Acton ;  and  Ripley,  of  Concord, 
—  who  had  been  chosen  some  time  before  to  meet 
delegates  from  other  associations  at  Rutland,  —  made 
a  report  of  their  doings :  upon  which  the  same  per- 
sons were  requested  to  attend  another  meeting  of 
delegates  for  the  purpose  of  adopting  a  constitution, 
and  organizing  a  society.  This  society,  composed 
at  first  of  ministers  and  laymen  in  the  contiguous 
counties  of  Middlesex  and  Worcester,  was  after- 
wards enlarged,  so  as  to  receive  members  and  dona- 
tions from  other  parts  of  the  State ;  and,  for  a 

3 


34  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

succession  of  years,  was  liberally  patronized,  and 
became  an  efficient  instrument  of  good  to  feeble 
churches  throughout  the  land.  Although  at  present 
in  the  hands  of  Liberal  or  Unitarian  Christians,  its 
affairs,  it  is  believed,  have  been  conducted,  and  its 
bounty  distributed,  in  a  spirit  of  catholicity  that  is 
worthy  of  all  commendation. 

With  a  succinct  account  of  the  division  of  the  Asso- 
ciation into  two  branches,  the  eastern  and  western, 
and  of  the  dissolution  of  each,  we"  take  leave  of  the 
venerable  Maryborough  Association. 

It  appears  that  as  early  as  1750,  at  the  end  of  the 
first  quarter  of  a  century,  proposals  were  made  to 
divide  the  body,  which  had  now  spread  itself  over 
a  very  extensive  territory.  A  formal  division, 
however,  was  not  effected  till  several  years  later, 
although,  from  this  date,  it  was  customary  for  the 
two  sections  to  hold  separate  meetings  for  special 
purposes,  while  both  continued  to  attend  the  regular 
meetings. 

At  length,  Aug.  10,  1762,  at  a  full  meeting  of  the 
Association  at  Lancaster,  after  mature  deliberation  it 
was  voted  to  divide  the  Association,  the  line  of  divis- 
ion to  run  thus  :  "  for  the  east  part,  Messrs.  Loring, 
Gardner,  Smith,  Stone,  Martyn,  Parkman,  Goss,  and 
Wheeler;  Mr.  Barrett  [the  only  member  absent],  if 
he  pleases." 

Fof  the  west,  the  ministers  of  the  two  Shrewsburys, 
two  Lancasters,  Worcester,  Holden,  Rutland ;  "  and 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  35 

[they  added]  there  may  be  likelihood  of  several 
others  to  join  them." 

The  west  division  to  retain  their  right  in  Dr. 
Leland's  "  View  of  Deistical  Writers." 

I  am  not  aware  that  any  records  are  extant  of  this 
division,  after  the  separation.  As  its  domain  lay 
wholly  in  Worcester  County,  it  probably  took  the 
name  of  the  Worcester  Association,  and  was  the  iden- 
tical body  that  was  dissolved  in  the  year  1791,  on 
occasion  of  a  refusal,  on  the  part  of  a  majority  of  its 
members,  to  fraternize  with  the  minister  of  the  Second 
Church  in  Worcester,  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft, 
then  a  young  man  and  a  reputed  Arminian.  An 
account  of  the  whole  affair,  written  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Bancroft,  and  found  among  his  private  papers,  I  shall 
introduce  in  its  appropriate  place.  Shortly  after  the 
dissolution  of  the  old  society,  a  new  one  was  formed, 
retaining  the  same  name,  which  lasted  till  its  union 
with  the  Lancaster  Association  in  1820. 

The  eastern  branch,  retaining  the  name  of  the 
Marlborough  Association,  was  sustained,  with  various 
fortunes,  till  Oct.  18,  1814,  when,  as  the  record  states, 
"  sentiments  were  expressed  on  the  existing  state  of 
the  Association ;  and,  for  important  reasons,  it  was 
moved  and  seconded,  that  this  Association  dissolve 
and  be  dissolved  after  this  day  ;  which,  being  put 
to  vote,  passed  in  the  affirmative."  —  "  The  Moder- 
ator, Rev.  Dr.  Ripley,  of  Concord,  then  declared  the 
Association  to  be  dissolved." 


36  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

The  immediate  cause  of  its  dissolution  appears  to 
have  been  the  breaking-out  of  the  great  controversy 
between  the  Liberal  and  Orthodox  sections  of  the 
New-England  churches,  which  took  place  about  this 
time ;  and  matters  seem  to  have  been  brought  to  a 
crisis  by  the  opposition  that  was  made  in  the  As- 
sociation to  the  receiving  into  their  body,  as  a  mem- 
ber, Rev.  Timothy  Hilliard,  who  had  been  recently 
ordained  over  the  Congregational  Church  and  Society 
in  Sudbury ;  only  five,  it  is  stated,  voting  for  his 
admission,  five  of  the  members  not  voting.  With 
brief  notices  of  those  who  became  members  after  the 
time  of  its  organization  in  1725,  we  take  leave  of 
the  Marlborough  Association,  with  feelings  of  deep 
respect  for  the  good  service,  which,  during  its  pro- 
tracted existence  of  fourscore  years  and  ten,  it  ren- 
dered to  the  cause  of  religion  and  good  morals.  It 
lived  to  a  good  old  age  :  peace  to  its  memory  ! 

ROBERT  BRECK. 

The  leading  man  in  the  Association  during  the  first 
five  years  of  its  existence,  or  till  his  lamented  death, 
was  unquestionably  Rev.  Robert  Breck,  of  Marl- 
borough.  This  pre-eminence  seems  to  have  been 
accorded  to  him  by  his  brethren,  as  due  to  his  talents, 
his  high  character,  and  his  eminent  attainments. 

He  was  born  in  Dorchester,  Dec.  7,  1682,  and  was 
the  son  of  Captain  John  Breck,  and  grandson  of 


MARLBORO  UGH    ASSOCIATION.  37 

Edward  Breck,  who  came  from  England,  and  settled 
in  Dorchester  in  1636.  After  the  death  of  his 
father,  he  was  sent  to  Harvard  College,  where  he 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1700.  Having  prepared 
for  the  ministry,  and  received  license  to  preach,  he 
passed  some  time  on  Long  Island  in  the  practice  of 
his  profession ;  after  which  he  returned  to  his  native 
State,  and  on  the  24th  October,  1704,  being  then 
only  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  was  ordained  over 
the  church  in  Marlborough,  as  the  successor  of  Rev. 
William  Brimsmead,  the  first  minister  of  that  ancient 
town. 

In  September,  1707,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth 
Wainwright,  of  Haverhill,  by  whom  he  had  six 
children,  four  of  whom  survived  their  parents,  and 
became  heads  of  families.  His  widow  lived  a  little 
more  than  five  years  after  her  husband's  death.  Of 
these  four  children,  Robert  (H.C.  1730)  was  for 
many  years  the  minister  of  Springfield,  died  in  1784; 
Sarah  married  Dr.  Benjamin  Gott,  a  respectable 
physician  in  Marlborough ;  Hannah  married  Rev. 
Ebenezer  Parkman,  of  Westborough ;  and  Samuel 
(H.C.  1742)  was  surgeon  in  the  army  during  the 
French  wars,  and  died  in  1764.  Rev.  Robert  Breck, 
the  father,  died,  after  a  distressing  sickness,  Jan.  6, 
1731,  in  the  midst  of  an  honorable  and  useful  life; 
having  just  completed  the  forty-ninth  year  of  his 
life,  and  the  twenty-sixth  of  his  ministry. 

The   first  notice   of   his    illness    is    found   in   the 


38  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

records  of  the  Marlborough  Association,  dated  Fra- 
mingham,  Sept.  1,  1730  ;  from  which  it  appears,  that 
he  had  been  prevented  from  attending  by  "  a  griev- 
ous sore  in  his  mouth."  On  the  15th  of  the  follow- 
ing month,  the  Association  met  again  in  Marlborough, 
at  the  house  of  Benjamin  Wood,  Esq.,  one  of  Mr. 
Breck's  parishioners ;  and  the  day  was  kept  as  a  fast, 
on  account  of  the  alarming  sickness  of  this  beloved 
brother.  On  this  occasion,  the  Rev.  John  Prentice, 
of  Lancaster,  preached  in  the  morning,  and  Rev. 
John  Swift,  of  Framingham,  in  the  afternoon ;  the 
day  having  been  set  apart  by  the  town  with  special 
reference  to  the  sickness  of  their  minister. 

Three  sermons  were  preached,  on  successive  sab- 
baths, in  his  pulpit,  after  his  death  ;  which  were  pub- 
lished together  in  a  small,  thick  pamplet,  a  few  copies 
of  which  have  been  preserved.  These  were  by  the 
ministers  respectively  of  Framingham,  Sudbury,  and 
Lancaster. 

Mr.  Breck  published  during  his  life  four  dis- 
courses; viz.,  the  Election  Sermon  in  1728;  a  ser- 
mon preached  in  Shrewsbury  in  1720,  being  the 
first  ever  preached  in  that  town.*  Two  other  dis- 
courses, addressed  to  the  young  on  occasion  of  a  large 
accession  to  his  church  of  about  fifty  persons,  most 
of  them  in  early  life,  were  printed  in  1728. 

*  Only  two  copies  of  this  discourse  are  known  to  be  in  existence; 
one  in  the  possession  of  Rev.  William  B.  Sprague,  D.D.  of  Albany,  and 
the  other  of  Rev.  George  Allen,  of  Worcester. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  39 

As  an  evidence  of  the  high  estimation  in  which  he 
was  held,  we  present  the  following  testimonials  :  — 

The  writer  of  an  obituary  in  the  "  Weekly  Jour- 
nal" for  January,  1731  (No.  CO.),  which  is  appended 
to  the  funeral  discourse  by  Rev.  Mr.  Prentice,  says 
that  "  he  was  a  man  of  strong  natural  powers,  clear 
head,  and  solid  judgment;  and,  by  the  blessing  of 
God  on  his  unwearied  diligence  and  study,  he  attained 
great  skill  in  the  learned  languages  [uncommon  in 
the  Hebrew,  using  to  read  out  of  the  Hebrew  Bible 
to  his  family],  as  also  in  philosophy,  the  mathematics, 
history,  as  well  as  in  divinity,  in  which  he  was  sound 
and  orthodox ;  a  good  casuist,  a  strong  disputant,  a 
methodical  and  close  preacher.  He  has  left,"  it  is 
added,  "  a  sorrowful  widow  and  four  children." 

A  writer  in  the  "Weekly  News-letter,"  No.  1408, 
for  Jan.  21,  1731,  employs  the  following  eulogistic 
terms  :  — 

"  As  a  clergyman,  he  was  an  able  minister  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  he  obtained  mercy  to  be  faith- 
ful ;  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  made  him  an  overseer, 
having  richly  furnished  him  with  grace  and  gifts  for 
that  sacred  office.  The  Classis,  or  Association  of 
Ministers  he  belonged  to,  hung  much  of  their  glory 
on  him ;  had  an  high  esteem  of  his  judgment  upon 
all  emergencies  that  came  before  them ;  and  he  like- 
wise took  care  upon  all  occasions,  with  great  courage 
and  prudence,  to  support  the  honor  and  rights  of  the 
presbytery,  when  he  thought  them  invaded  or  any 


40  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

ways  diminished.  ...  At  the  same  time,  he  was  of  a 
candid,  catholic  spirit,  far  from  being  rigid  or  cen- 
sorious ;  but  he  dare  not  receive  for  doctrine  the 
commandments  of  men.  ...  As  to  his  learning,  I 
suppose  it  will  be  no  offence  to  say,  there  were  few 
of  his  standing  that  were  even  his  equals.  He  was 
such  a  master  of  the  learned  languages,  that  he 
could,  and  did  frequently,  to  the  capacity  of  his 
family,  read  a  chapter  of  the  Hebrew  Bible  into  Eng- 
lish ;  and  the  Greek  was  still  easier  to  him.  .  .  .  His 
religion  was  vital  and  undisguised.  Pride,  hypocrisy, 
and  affectation  were  his  aversion;  and  covetousness 
was  what  he  was  a  perfect  stranger  to.  His  temper 
was  grave  and  thoughtful,  and  yet  cheerful  at  times, 
especially  with  his  friends  and  acquaintance,  and  his 
conversation  entertaining  and  agreeable. 

"  In  his  conduct,  he  was  prudent  and  careful  of  his 
character,  both  as  a  minister  and  a  Christian ;  rather 
sparing  of  speech,  and  more  inclined  to  hear  and 
learn  from  others. 

"  His  house  was  open  to  strangers,  and  his  heart 
to  his  friends ;  and  he  took  great  delight  in  entertain- 
ing such  as  he  might  in  any  ways  improve  by,  and 
treated  them  with  good  manners.  He  was  a  great 
lover  of  government  and  good  order,  and  would  ex- 
press himself  with  warmth  against  that  levelling 
spirit  which  too  much  prevails. 

"The  languishment  and  pains  he  went  through 
before  his  death  were  very -great;  but  God  enabled 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  41 

him  to  bear   the   affliction  with  patience    and  sub- 
mission." * 

REV.  JOHN  SWIFT,  FRAMINGHAM. 

Mr.  Swift  was  the  senior  minister  of  the  Marl- 
borough  Association  at  the  time  of  its  formation, 
although  the  name  of  Robert  Breck  stands  first  on 
the  list  of  members. 

He  was  a  native  of  Milton,  where  he  was  born 
March  14,  1679,  and  was  the  son  of  Thomas  and 
Elizabeth  (Yose)  Swift,  and  grandson  of  Thomas, 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Dorchester,  who  came  over 
in  1630.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  in  the 
class  of  1697,  and  was  ordained  as  the  first  minister 
of  Framingham,  Oct.  8,  1701.  Soon  after  his  set- 
tlement, he  was  married  to  Sarah,  daughter  of  Tim- 
othy Tileston,  of  Dorchester,  by  whom  he  had  one 
son  and  five  daughters.  The  son,  John  Swift,  jun., 
was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College,  in  the  class  of 
1733,  and  became  the  minister  of  Acton.  His 
daughter  Sarah  married  Ebenezer  Eoby,  of  Sud- 
bury ;  Elizabeth  was  the  wife  of  Rev.  James  Stone, 
of  Holliston ;  Anne  married  Rev.  Philip  Payson,  of 
Walpole,  and  was  the  mother  of  Rev.  Dr.  Seth 

*  It  is  a  noticeable  coincidence,  that  a  lineal  descendant  of  Mr. 
Breck,  of  the  third  generation,  Deacon  Isaac  Davis,  of  Northborough, 
father  of  Kx- Governor  John  Davis,  of  Worcester,  was  afflicted  with 
what  seems  to  have  been  a  similar  disease,  which  occasioned  his  death, 
in  1826.  • 


2  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Payson,  of  Bindge,  N.H.,  father  of  Rev.  Edward 
Payson,  D.D.,  of  Portland,  Maine ;  another  daugh- 
ter, Mary,  was  unmarried ;  Martha,  the  youngest, 
married  Major  John  Farrar,  of  Framingham. 

"  His  ministry  in  this  town,"  says  the  historian  of 
Framingham,  Rev.  William  Barry,  one  of  his  suc- 
cessors in  the  ministry,  now  living  in  Chicago,  111., 
"  as  far  as  is  known  to  us,  was  conducted  with  faith- 
fulness and  prudence ;  and  not  a  notice  occurs,  in  all 
the  transactions  of  the  town  and  church,  in  any 
degree  qualifying  the  respect  and  estimation  in  which 
he  was  held.  ...  Of  his  ability  as  a  preacher  we 
have  no  means  of  judging.  His  printed  sermons  are 
marked  with  a  pure  and  classical  taste.  He  was  free 
from  all  affectation  of  style,  as  well  as  extravagance 
of  zeal,  or  rashness  of  opinion.  The  subjects  of  his 
ordinary  discourses,  as  one  may  infer  from  his  own 
diary,  were  often  suggested  by  passing  events.  Some 
of  these  discourses  bear  marks  of  extemporaneous 
composition.  Thus,  he  notes  on  one  occasion  his 
preaching  from  the  words,  '  The  voice  of  the  Lord 
is  upon  the  waters :  the  God  of  glory  thundereth ; ' 
adding,  'it  being  a  day  of  thunder.'  ...  A  day  of 
extreme  severity  suggested  the  text,  'Who  can  stand 
before  his  cold  ? '  And  a  few  weeks  later,  doubtless 
while  the  snow  drifted  through  the  crevices  of  the 
ancient  and  dilapidated  meeting-house,  the  motto  of 
his  sermon  was,  '  a  covert  from  the  storm.'  The 
halt,,  of  a  detachment  of  soldiers  in  the  village 


MARYBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  43 

induced  him  to  discourse  from  the  words,  '  a  devout 
soldier. ' " 

Mr.  Swift  preached  the  Election  Sermon  in  1732 ; 
also  a  discourse  on  occasion  of  the  death  of  Rev. 
Robert  Breck,  of  Marlborough,  in  1731 ;  both  of 
which  were  printed.  He  is  spoken  of  as  "  a  wise 
counsellor  and  a  good  man,  of  a  well-cultivated  mind, 
and  held  in  great  esteem  in  the  churches/' 

We  learn  from  a  note  to  Mr.  Barry's  account  of 
Mr.  Swift,  that  his  salary  was  £70,  equal  to  $233.33 ; 
to  which  in  the  latter  part  of  his  ministry,  on  account 
of  the  protracted  sickness  of  his  wife,  an  additional 
grant  of  £10  was  added.  He  died,  April  24,  1745, 
in  the  forty- fifth  year  of  his  ministry,  and  the  sixty- 
seventh  of  his  age. 

A  monument  was  erected  over  his  remains,  with 
the  following  inscription  in  Latin  :  — 

me  JACET 

Qui  obiit  A.D.  1745,  Aprilis  24* 

yEtatisque  anno  67°° 

VIR  ILLE  REVEREXDUS  D.  JOIIAXXES  SWIFT, 

Dotibus  et  nativis  et  acquisitis  ornatus ; 

Docendi  Artifex,  Exemplar  vivemli, 

Felix,  dum  vixit, 
Mores  exhibens  secundum  Divinas  Regulas 

Episcopo  necessaries 
Commiscens  Prudentiam  Serpentis,  Columbajque 

Innocentiam : 
Commercium  cum  eo  habentibus 

In  vita  percliarus, 
Atque  gratam  sui,  etsi  mcestam,  Memoriam 

Post  mortem,  lis  relinquens  : 
Qui  per  varios  casus,  variaque  Kerum  Discrimina 


44  MAKLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Atque  usque  ad  mortem, 
Raram  discretionem,  Modestiam,  Patientiam, 
Voluntatique  Supremi  Numinis  Submissionem 

Spectandam  proebens : 
Jam  tandem  in  Domino  requievit 

Adoptionem 

Scilicet,  Corporis  obruti  Redemptionem 
Expectabundus. 


REV.  ISRAEL   LORING. 

Mr.  Loring  was  born  in  Hull,  April  15,  1682, 
and  was  the  son  of  John  and  Rachel  (Wheatley) 
Loring,  his  father's  second  wife. 

He  entered  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
and  graduated  in  the  class  of  1701.  Increase  Ma- 
ther, who  was  then  at  the  head  of  that  institution, 
bears  this  honorable  testimony  to  his  character  while 
a  student  in  college.  It  is  taken  from  the  introduc- 
tion to  a  sermon  of  Mr.  Loring's  on  Early  Piety, 
published  in  1718  :  — 

"  As  for  the  author  of  this  discourse,  I  have  known 
him  from  his  youth.  When  he  was  in  the  college, 
into  which  society  I  admitted  him,  and  there  gradu- 
ated him,  I  observed  that  he  was  there  studious, 
blameless,  and  serious,  in  his  young  years ;  the  fitter 
to  exhort  young  men  to  remember  their  Creator  in 
the  days  of  their  youth.  Since  he  has  been  called 
to  public  service,  he  has  found  great  and  deserved 
respect  and  acceptance  with  the  Lord's  people." 

He  was  ordained  as  minister  of  Sudbury,  Nov.  20, 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  45 

1706;  and  May  25,  1709,  he  was  married,  at  Hull,  to 
Mary,  daughter  of  Nathan  Hayman,  of  Charlestown, 
by  whom  he  had  seven  children,  two  of  whom  were 
graduates  of  Harvard  College.  One  of  these,  John, 
settled  as  a  physician  in  Boston.  Of  the  other 
children  we  have  no  knowledge. 

During  the  first  sixteen  years  of  his  ministry,  his 
charge  embraced  the  whole  town,  including  East 
Sudbury,  now  Wayland,  which  was  set  off  in  1722 
as  a  distinct  corporation.  Having  the  choice  of  the 
two  parishes  thus  created,  he  concluded  to  take  the 
west,  where  he  remained  through  his  long  ministry 
till  his  death,  which  took  place  on  the  9th  of 
March,  1772,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  His 
ministry  lasted  sixty-six  years.  It  is  said  that  he 
preached  twice  on  the  last  sabbath  but  one  preceding 
his  death,  and  that,  on  the  following  day,  he  offered  a 
prayer  at  a  town-meeting,  where  he  was  taken  ill, 
and  thence  conveyed  to  his  house,  where  he  shortly 
departed  this  life.  His  wife,  who  was  about  two 
months  younger  than  her  husband,  had  preceded 
him  a  little  more  than  two  years,  having  died  Dec. 
24,  1769,  in  her  eighty-eighth  year.  It  is  related  of 
her,  that,  for  forty-five  of  the  last  years  of  her  life, 
she  ate  but  one  meal  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  that 
was  ordinarily  a  little  bread  and  cheese  shortly 
before  she  retired  at  night ;  and  yet  her  health  was 
such  that  she  was  able  to  conduct  her  domestic  affairs 
till  about  ten  days  before  her  death.  The  rcmarka- 


46  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

ble  fact  is  also  mentioned,  that,  011  the  sabbath  that 
she  was  a  corpse,  a  child  of  her  great-grand-daughter 
was  baptized  by  the  aged  minister,  and  called  by  her 
name.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  Loring  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Marlborough  Association 
nearly  half  a  century. 

Mr.  Loring  preached  the  Election  Sermon  in  1737, 
in  the  presence  of  Governor  Belcher,  in  which  he 
makes  a  manly  and  high-minded  appeal  to  the  "Hon- 
orable Great  and  General  Assembly,"  in  behalf  of 
the  families  of  those  unfortunate  persons  who  had 
suffered  from  the  witchcraft  delusion,  near  the  close 
of  the  preceding  century.  "The  question  is,"  he 
writes  "  (if  it  be  not  beyond  all  question),  whether  a 
restitution  is  not  due  from  the  public  to  them,  and 
we  are  not  bound  in  justice  to  make  it? " 

In  1742,  he  preached  the  Convention  Sermon  in 
Boston,  in  which  he  strongly  reprobates  the  practice, 
introduced  by  Whitefield  and  others,  of  ignorant 
persons  "  setting  themselves  up  for  teachers  and  ex- 
horters  of  the  people."  —  "  Knowledge  in  the  liberal 
arts  and  original  tongues,"  he  remarks,  "is  an  hand- 
maid to  divinity,  and  a  great  help  to  attain  it.  But 
this  our  exhorters  are  destitute  of.  Christ's  ministers 
get  their  knowledge  in  a  course  of  hard  study,  with 
the  blessing  of  Christ  upon  their  endeavors ;  but  the 
teachers  that  I  am  speaking  of  spring  up,  as  it  were, 
in  the  night,  and  have  very  little  time  for  the  gaining 
of  divine  knowledge  in  an  ordinary  way.  .  .  . 


MARLBOROUGH   ASSOCIATION.  47 

"  May  we  not  conclude,  then,"  he  asks,  "  that  the 
exhorters  of  the  present  day  are  utterly  unqualified 
for  the  work  which  they  have  so  temerariously  un- 
dertaken, and  consequently  that  Jesus  Christ  never 
called  them  to  it,  and  that  he  will  never  assist  them 
in  it,  nor  reward  them  for  it?" 

In  1745,  after  Mr.  Whitefield's  second  visit  to  this 
country,  most  of  the  members  of  the  Marlborough 
Association,  to  which  he  belonged,  signed  a  remon- 
strance, entitled  a  "  Testimony  against  the  Rev.  Mr. 
George  Whitefield  and  his  Conduct,"  Mr.  Loring 
being  one  of  the  number ;  in  which  they  say,  in 
reference  to  the  course  pursued  by  that  remarkable 
man, — 

"We  cannot,  therefore,  but  lament  it,  that  he  meets 
with  so  much  countenance  and  encouragement  among 
us,  and  especially  that  any  of  our  fathers  and  breth- 
ren in  the  ministry  should  give  such  countenance  to 
one  so  erroneous  in  his  doctrines,  and  so  disorderly 
in  his  conduct,  by  inviting  and  admitting  him  into 
their  pulpits,  and  more  especially  by  allowing  him  to 
administer  the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in 
their  churches." 

Reference  is  here  probably  made  to  Rev.  John 
Seccomb,  of  Harvard,  and  Rev.  Solomon  Prentice,  of 
Graf  ton,  whose  conduct  in  this  regard,  in  opposition 
to  the  views  of  their  parishioners,  caused  great 
divisions,  and  led  to  their  dismission. 

Mr.  Loring  was  a  stanch  Calvinist,  and  a  strenu- 


48  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

ous  opponent  of  Arminianism,  the  liberal  theology  of 
that  day ;  but  he  was  as  strenuous  a  defender  of  the 
ecclesiastical  order  and  the  rights  of  an  ordained 
clergy,  and  would  give  no  countenance  to  itinerant 
preachers  and  interlopers,  whatever  the  doctrines 
they  preached. 

As  an  evidence  of  his  steadfast  adherence  to  the 
Genevan  faith,  we  quote  from  a  communication  from 
Rev.  Edmund  H.  Sears,  formerly  of  Wayland,  now 
of  Weston  :  — 

"  Mr.  Loring  had  his  choice  to  stay  in  the  east  side 
of  the  river,  or  go  to  the  west  side.  He  chose  the 
latter,  which  made  a  vacancy  in  the  east  parish,  over 
which  Rev.  William  Cook  was  ordained  in  1723. 
Mr.  Cook  seems  to  have  been  a  man  of  more  than 
common  attainments.  It  was  during  his  ministry 
that  two  great  parties  began  to  appear  more  distinctly 
in  the  Congregational  churches,  known  as  the  Armin- 
ian  and  the  Calvinistic.  Father  Loring  was  rigidly 
and  implacably  Calvinistic  :  Mr.  Cook  took  Arminian 
grounds,  and  preached  a  more  genial  theology.  It 
does  not  appear,  however,  that  any  other  than 
friendly,  fraternal  relations  subsisted  between  Mr. 
Cook  and  Mr.  Loring.  Mr.  Cook's  ministry  was 
peaceful  and  happy ;  and  he  died,  extensively  beloved 
and  lamented,  in  1760. 

"  At  the  time  of  Mr.  Cook's  settlement,  he  was  a 
young  man  of  vigor  and  promise.  Mr.  Loring  was 
in  middle  life,  but  in  feeble  health ;  and  people 


MARYBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  49 

thought  his  parish  was  soon  to  become  vacant. 
While  they  congratulated  the  east  parish  on  the  set- 
tlement of  their  young  minister,  they  were  fixing 
their  features  into  postures  ready  to  condole  with 
the  west  parish  for  the  loss  of  theirs.  And  yet  Mr. 
Loring,  notwithstanding  the  predictions  of  friends 
and  doctors,  survived  Mr.  Cook,  preached  his  fune- 
ral sermon,  helped  ordain  his  successor,  and  was 
active  in  his  calling  for  years  afterwards." 

"  At  Mr.  Cook's  funeral,  according  to  tradition, 
Father  Loring  took  his  text  from  Ps.  li.  18,  —  *  Do 
good,  in  thy  good  pleasure,  unto  Zion,'  &c. ;  and 
his  first  remark  was,  that '  God  did  good  unto  Zion  by 
removing  ungodly  ministers.'  This  was  a  covert 
thrust  at  Mr.  Cook's  Arminianism ;  and  the  people 
were  shocked  and  indignant,  as  the  corpse  of  their 
beloved  pastor  lay  before  them  upon  his  bier.  How- 
ever, the  remark  seemed  disconnected  with  what  fol 
lowed  ;  for  Father  Loring  went  on,  and  spoke  well  of 
Mr.  Cook  and  his  ministry.  Not  many  days  after, 
Father  Loring  was  in  Boston,  and  met  Dr.  Chauncey 
in  the  street,  who  accosted  him  in  his  blunt  way,  and 
demanded,  '  What  did  you  mean  by  abusing  brother 
Cook  so,  the  other  day,  at  his  funeral  ? '  Father 
Loring  did  not  make  much  reply,  but  was  rather 
disposed  to  defend  the  offensive  remark,  made  at  the 
opening  of  his  sermon  ;  whereupon  Dr.  Chauncey 
rejoined,  '  Well,  sir,  I  hope  I  shall  have  to  preach 

4 


50  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

your  funeral  sermon  ;  and  I  will  abuse  you  as  much 
as  you  did  our  brother  Cook.'  "  * 

Mr.  Loring  published  a  Sermon  on  the  Nature  and 
Necessity  of  the  New  Birth,  in  1728 ;  on  the  Death 
of  Rev.  Robert  Breck,  in  1731  ;  on  the  Torments  of 
Hell,  1732 ;  an  Election  Sermon,  1737 ;  a  Conven- 
tion Sermon,  1742 ;  on  Justification,  in  1749 ;  and 
at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  Gideon  Richardson,  at 
Wells,  1754. 

The  first-named  of  these  discourses  was  delivered 
at  the  Thursday  Lecture  in  Boston ;  and,  in  an  intro- 
ductory notice  by  Rev.  Thomas  Prince,  the  author  is 
spoken  of  in  the  following  commendatory  terms  :  — 

"  He  was  so  plain  and  easy  in  his  expression  and 
method,  so  familiar  and  moving  in  his  delivery,  so 
affected  himself  with  the  momentous  truths  he 
would  inculcate  on  us,  that  we  must  have  hearts  of 
adamant  to  resist  the  impressions,  or  continue  indif- 
ferent whether  we  pass  through  so  great  a  change  as 
he  clearly  explained  and  earnestly  urged  as  of  the 
last  necessity.  Nor  could  the  assembly  separate 
without  expressing  their  great  satisfaction,  and 
wishes  that  such  an  important  discourse  might  be  in 
this  capacity  to  make  further  impression  on  those 
that  heard  it,  and  to  extend  its  influence  also  to 
others." 


*  Mr.  Sears  received  this,  and  other  anecdotes  relating  to  Mr.  Loring, 
from  the  late  Rev.  David  Damon,  D.D.,  who  was  a  native  of  East 
Sudbury. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  51 

This  was  at  the  time  when  the  Thursday  Lecture 
was  attended  by  multitudes  from  Boston  and  the 
neighboring  towns,  and  was  regarded  as  the  great 
event  of  the  week. 

"  Mr.  Loring,"  we  are  told,*  "  left  a  manuscript 
journal  of  thirty  volumes,  of  two  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-four pages  each,  closely  written  ;  containing,  not 
only  a  record  of  all  the  more  important  events  con- 
nected with  his  ministry,  but  a  great  amount  of  im- 
portant biographical  and  historical  material.  But 
most  of  these  volumes  have  been  irrecoverably  lost. 

All  that  is  known  of  the  personal  appearance  of 
the  venerable  patriot  is  on  the  authority  of  a  lady 
who  died  in  1851,  at  the  age  of  ninety -three.  She 
knew  him  in  her  childhood  ;  and  her  testimony  was, 
that  "  he  was  of  a  tall,  slender  form ;  apostolic  in 
his  manner ;  possessing  warm  domestic  affections ; 
and  often  calling  her  one  of  his  dear  little  orphans." 

It  is  said,  that  "  he  divided  his  library  between  his 
own  children,  and  those  of  his  son,  Dr.  John  Loring, 
of  Boston." 

REV.    JOHN    GARDNER,    STOW. 

Rev.  John  Gardner,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
Gardner,  "  descended  from  a  reputable  family,"  was 
born  in  the  corner  of  Charlcstown  contiguous  to 

*  See  Annnls  of  the  American  Pulpit,  by  Kev.  Dr.  Sprngue,  of  Al 
bany,  vol.  i.  pp.  257-2CO. 


52  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Woburn,  called  "  Charlestown  End  "  and  "  Gardner 
Row,"  after  the  name  of  most  of  the  inhabitants. 
His  ancestors,  and  their  descendants  there  resident, 
from  the  first  attended  public  worship  at  Woburn, 
where  Mr.  Gardner's  name  is  recorded.  He  was 
born  July  22,  1696,  O.S. ;  was  graduated  at  Harvard 
College,  in  1715  ;  and  was  ordained  at  Stow  as  suc- 
cessor of  Rev.  John  Eveleth  (H.C.  1689),  Nov.  26, 
1718.  He  continued  in  the  ministry  till  his  death, 
10th  January,  1775,  at  the  age  of  fourscore  years. 
A  few  months  before  his  death,  viz.  llth  October, 
1774,  Rev.  Jonathan  Newell  was  ordained  as  his 
colleague,  whose  ministry  lasted  fifty-six  years,  or 
till  the  time  of  his  decease,  Oct.  4,  1830. 

Mr.  Gardner  was  married,  1719,  to  Mary,  eldest 
daughter  of  Rev.  Joseph  Baxter,  of  Medfield  (H.C. 
1693),  when  she  was  but  nineteen  years  old.  By 
her  he  had  eight  children,  of  whom  three  of  the  sons 
were  educated  at  Harvard  College. 

1.  Samuel  (H.C.   1746),  born  6th  March,   1724, 
who  married  Maiy,  youngest  daughter  of  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Cooper  of  Boston,   and  died  at   Milton,   18th 
January,  1778. 

2.  Hon.   Henry   Gardner,   born    Nov.    14,    1731 
(H.C.  1750),  died  at  Dorchester,  Oct.  7,  1782.     He 
was  the  first  Treasurer  of  the   Commonwealth,  and 
was  the  father  of  Dr.  Henry  Gardner  (H.C.  1798), 
and   grandfather   of  Hon.   Henry   Joseph   Gardner, 
ex-Governor  of  Massachusetts. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  53 

3.  Rev.  Francis  Gardner,  born  Feb.  17,  1735, 
O.S.  (H.C.  1756) ;  ordained  at  Leominster,  Dec.  22, 
1762 ;  and  who  died  suddenly  at  Watertown,  June, 
1814.  He  was  grandfather  of  Francis  Gardner 
(H.C.  1831),  now  at  the  head  of  the  public  Latin 
School,  Boston. 

All  the  children  of  Rev.  John  Gardner  survived 
their  parents,  and  filled  their  places  with  honor. 

"  Mr.  Gardner,"  says  one  of  his  contemporaries, 
Rev.  Mr.  Parkman,  of  Westborough  (see  Church 
Records  of  Stow),  "  was  a  gentleman  of  good  intel- 
lectual abilities,  had  collected  valuable  treasures  of 
learning  and  observation  on  mankind.  He  was 
sound  in  the  principles  of  religion,  and  steady  in  the 
practice  of  the  duties  and  virtues  thereof.  He  was 
prudent,  peaceable,  hospitable,  and  very  faithful  in 
the  discharge  of  his  pastoral  office.  He  was  stanch 
for  the  privileges  of  the  people,  but  a  strenuous 
assertor  of  the  rights  of  the  gospel  ministry.  He 
lamented  the  divisions  in  many  churches,  and  had 
deeply  at  heart  the  deplorable  state  of  public  politi- 
cal affairs." — "  He  is  still  remembered,"  says  Dr. 
Thayer,  in  his  sermon  at  the  funeral  of  his  son,  Rev. 
Francis  Gardner  of  Leominster,  "  for  the  soundness 
of  his  understanding,  for  fidelity  in  his  sacred  offices, 
and  for  exemplary  piety." — "  He  was,"  says  the 
librarian  of  Harvard  College,  Rev.  John  L.  Sibley 
(one  of  the  successors  of  Rev.  Mr.  Gardner  in  the 
ministry,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  several  valua- 


54  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

ble  communications), —  "  he  was  strenuously  opposed 
to  the  Whitefieldian  movement.  In  his  deportment, 
he  probably  exceeded  the  ministerial  sternness  and 
imperiousness  of  his  time.  A  very  aged  man  told 
me,  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  that  he  always  stood 
in  awe  of  him  and  his  great  wig.  He  recollected 
distinctly,  that  once,  when  Mr.  Gardner  had  called 
at  the  house  of  his  father,  who  lived  at  some  distance 
from  the  road,  his  father  told  him  to  go  down  to  the 
road,  and  open  the  gate  to  let  the  minister  pass 
through.  Full  of  trepidation,  he  ran  in  advance ; 
and  as  soon  as  Mr.  Gardner,  with  his  great  wig,  had 
got  through  the  gate,  he  fled  back  to  the  house  with 
the  greatest  speed  with  which  his  legs  could  carry 
him." 

REV.  JOHN  PRENTICE,  LANCASTER. 

Rev.  John  Prentice,  of  Lancaster,  was  a  native  of 
Newton,  where  he  was  born  in  1680.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  College  of  the  class  of  1700, 
being  a  classmate  of  Rev.  Robert  Breck.  He  was 
ordained  March  29,  1708,  and  died  Jan.  6,  1746, 
at  the  age  of  sixty- six. 

In  the  "  History  of  Lancaster,"  by  the  late  Joseph 
Willard,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  we  find  the  following  tes- 
timony to  his  learning  and  character,  in  an  extract 
from  the  sermon  preached  at  the  installation  of  his 
successor,  Rev.  Timothy  Harrington,  Nov.  16,  1748, 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  55 

by  Rev.  John  Hancock,  of  Lexington,  grandfather  of 
John  Hancock  of  revolutionary  memory  : — 

"  God  gave  him  the  tongue  of  the  learned :  so  he 
knew  how  to  speak  a  word  unto  him  that  was  weary. 
The  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh  fitted  him  for  his 
work,  and  taught  him  how  to  behave  himself  in  the 
house  of  God.  They  that  knew  him  esteemed  him 
for  his  piety,  his  probity,  his  peaceableness,  and  gen- 
tleness, and  for  his  commendable  steadiness  in  these 
uncertain  times "  (referring,  no  doubt,  to  the  great 
revivals  under  the  preaching  of  Whitefield,  Tennapt, 
and  others).  "  He  was  a  practical,  scriptural,  profit- 
able preacher.  As  to  his  secular  affairs,"  he  pleas- 
antly remarks,  "  with  the  help  of  that  Prudence 
God  gave  him  "  (meaning  his  wife  of  that  name,  as 
well  as  the  virtue  so  called),  "  he  managed  them  with 
discretion." 

Three  of  the  daughters  of  Mr.  Prentice  were  mar- 
ried to  clergymen  of  the  vicinity  :  viz.,  Mary,  to  Rev. 
Job  Gushing,  of  Shrewsbury ;  Relief,  to  Rev.  John 
Rogers,  of  Leominster ;  and  Rebecca,  to  Rev.  John 
Mellen,  of  Sterling,  who  thus  became  the  mother  of 
John  Mellen,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge,  and  of  Hon.  Pren- 
tice Mellen,  of  Maine,  named  for  his  maternal  grand- 
father. 

Mr.  Prentice  preached  the  Election  Sermon  in 
1735,  which  was  printed ;  also  a  sermon  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  first  court  in  the  new  county  of  Worcester, 
Aug.  10,  1731.  His  sermon  at  the  ordination  of 


56  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Rev.  Ebenezer  Parkman,  of  Westborough,  was  also 
printed. 

• 
REV.  JOB  GUSHING,  OF  SHREWSBURY. 

Mr.  Gushing  was  born  in  Hingham,  in  1694,  grad- 
uated at  Harvard  College  in  1714,  and  was  ordained 
as  the  first  minister  of  Shrewsbury,  Dec.  4,  1723. 

After  a  useful  and  peaceful  ministry  of  nearly 
thirty-seven  years,  he  died,  much  lamented,  Aug.  6, 
1760,  in  the  sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age. 

The  following  memorandum  is  found  in  the  re- 
cords of  the  Association  :  — 

"  Our  dear  brother  Gushing  being  removed  by 
death,  most  of  the  religious  exercises  bewailed  it,  or 
pointed  to  it.  He  died  suddenly  on  the  6th  inst." 
(Aug.  6,  1760). 

Mr.  Gushing  married  Mary  Prentice,  a  daughter 
of  the  minister  of  Lancaster. 

Some  of  his  descendants  still  live  in  Shrewsbury 
and  Northborough. 

REY.  EBENEZER  PARKMAN,  OF  WESTBOROUGH. 

Mr.  Parkman  was  the  youngest  of  the  seven  origi- 
nal members  of  the  Marlborough  Association,  having 
been  but  one  year  in  the  ministry  at  the  time  of  its 
formation.  He  was  born  in  Boston,  Sept.  5,  1703, 
and  was  the  son  of  William  Parkman,  whose  grand- 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  57 

father,  Elias,  lived  in  Dorchester  as  early  as  1633, 
but  who  afterwards  removed  to  Windsor,  Conn. 
(Savage). 

Mr.  Parkman  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College 
in  1721 ;  ordained  in  Westborough,  Oct.  28,  1724, 
at  the  early  age  of  twenty-one.  He  died  Dec.  9, 
1782,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age,  and  the  fifty- 
ninth  of  his  ministry,  having  been  a  member  of 
the  Association  a  little  more  than  fifty-seven  years. 
He  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  original  seven  who 
formed  the  Association. 

Rev.  Mr.  Parkman  was  the  father  of  the  well- 
known  Boston  merchant,  Samuel  Parkman,  Esq., 
and  grandfather  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Francis  Park- 
man, the  respected  and  lamented  minister  of  the  New 
North  Church,  Boston.  Rev.  Elisha  Rockwood,  one 
of  the  successors  of  Mr.  Parkman  in  the  ministry, 
and  who  married  one  of  his  grand-daughters,  speaks 
of  him  in  the  following  terms  :  — 

"  His  preaching  was  evangelical,  his  deportment 
dignified ;  and,  in  his  daily  intercourse  with  his 
people,  he  was  distinguished  for  dropping  those 
words  which  are  as  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of 
silver." 

From  an  examination  of  a  number  of  manuscript 
sermons  of  Mr.  Parkman,  which  have  come  into  my 
possession,  I  should  judge  that  he  was,  for  the  age 
in  which  he  lived,  a  respectable  scholar,  a  good 
writer,  and  a  man  of  a  catholic  spirit,  as  were  most 


58  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

of  the  ministers  of  the  Marlborough  Association. 
He  was  much  respected  by  his  own  people  and  in 
the  neighboring  churches ;  and  he  left  for  his  chil- 
dren and  friends  a  name  without  reproach. 

One  of  his  sons,  Breck  Parkman,  named  for  his 
maternal  grandfather,  Rev.  Robert  Breck,  of  Marl- 
borough,  was  for  many  years  a  respectable  merchant 
in  Westborough,  who  is  remembered  by  many  now 
living. 

REV.   SOLOMON  PRENTICE,   GRAFTON. 

Mr.  Prentice  was  born  in  Cambridge,  May  11, 
1785,  and  was  the  son  of  Solomon  Prentice,  of  that 
place.  He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  1727, 
and  was  a  classmate  of  Governors  Hutchinson  and 
Trumbull.  His  ordination  over  the  church  in  Graf- 
ton,  of  which  he  was  the  first  minister,  took  place 
Dec.  29,  1731 ;  Rev.  Mr.  Appleton,  of  Cambridge, 
preaching  the  ordination  sermon. 

In  1740,  the  celebrated  Whitefield  came  over  to 
this  country,  whose  preaching  excited  a  great  deal  of 
enthusiasm,  and  was  the  occasion  of  much  controversy 
among  the  clergy,  and  of  many  unhappy  divisions 
in  the  churches  of  New  England.  Mr.  Prentice  was 
a  great  admirer  of  Whitefield,  and  became  one  of 
what  were  called  "  the  New  Lights."  His  course 
was  not  approved  by  his  society ;  and  a  controversy 
arose  which  led  to  his  dismission,  July  10,  1747. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  59 

He  was  afterwards  settled  in  Easton,  Bristol  County, 
where  he  remained  about  seven  years.  He  then 
joined  the  Presbyterians,  but  was  suspended  by  the 
presbytery  in  1754  ;  after  which  he  returned  to 
Grafton,  where  he  lived  till  his  death,  May  22, 
1773,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight. 

REV.   WILLIAM  COOK,  EAST  SUDBURY. 

Rev.  William  Cook,  the  first  minister  of  East 
Sudbury  (now  Wayland),  was  a  native  of  Hadley, 
on  the  Connecticut  River,  and  was  born  about  1696 
or  1697.  He  received  his  collegiate  education  at 
Harvard  College,  Cambridge,  where  he  graduated 
in  1716.  Before  his  settlement  in  the  ministry,  he 
filled  the  place  of  librarian  of  the  college  for  one 
year,  — 1720-1721. 

His  ordination  took  place  March  20,  1723  ;  and, 
after  a  ministry  of  thirty-six  years,  he  died  Nov.  12, 
1760,  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age. 

He  preached  the  sermon  at  the  ordination  of  Rev. 
Elisha  Marsh,  at  Westminster,  Oct.  20,  1742,  and 
at  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Samuel  Baldwin,  of  Han- 
over, in  Plymouth  County,  in  1751.  These  two 
discourses,  with  an  anniversary  sermon  delivered  in 
Plymouth  in  1755,  were  published. 

We  learn  from  Sprague's  "  Annals,"  that  he  was 
on  the  council  that  ordained  the  Rev.  Robert  Brock, 
son  of  the  respected  minister  of  Marlborough,  at 


60  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Springfield,  July  26,   1736,   whose    ordination   was 
opposed  by  most  of  the  Hampshire  Association. 

REV.   SAMUEL   BARRETT,   HOPKINTON. 

Mr.  Barrett  was  born  in  Boston,  about  1700  ; 
was  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  1721 ;  and  was 
ordained  in  Hopkinton  in  1724,  Sept.  2.  He  died 
Dec.  11,  1772,  in  the  seventy-second  year  of  his 
age  and  the  forty-ninth  of  his  ministry.  The  His- 
torical Society  of  Massachusetts  speaks  of  him  as 
"  a  pious,  good  Christian  ;  a  man  of  great  candor 
and  good  nature."  —  "  They  ought  to  have  added," 
says  Rev.  Mr.  Howe  in  his  Century  Sermon,  "  a 
man  of  great  stability  and  perseverance."  Mr. 
Howe  also  speaks  of  his  ministry  as  "lengthy,  hon- 
orable, and  successful." 

About  a  year  before  his  death, — viz.,  Jan.  15, 
1772,  —  Rev.  Elijah  Fitch  was  settled  as  his  col- 
league. Mr.  Barrett  was  the  first  minister  of  Hop- 
kinton, a  town  named  in  honor  of  Edward  Hopkins, 
Esq.,  an  English  gentleman  of  wealth  and  benevo- 
lence, who  was  one  of  the  early  benefactors  of 
Harvard  College,  and  whose  munificent  bequest  of 
eight  hundred  pounds  sterling,  made  in  1657, 
was,  in  1710,  invested  in  the  purchase  of  a  large 
tract  of  land,  including  the  town  of  Hopkinton, 
and  parts  of  the  adjoining  towns  of  Upton  and 
Holliston ;  the  land  to  be  leased  to  tenants  for  the 


MARLBOROTJGH    ASSOCIATION.  61 

term  of  ninety-nine  years,  at  the  annual  rent  of 
a  penny  sterling  the  acre.  Mr.  Barrett's  salary  was 
fixed  at  thirty-five  pounds,  in  addition  to  the  cutting 
and  carting  his  firewood.  This  was  for  the  first 
three  years  ;  after  which,  his  salary  was  raised  to 
seventy  pounds,  which,  with  the  firewood,  was  his 
annual  salary  during  his  ministry. 

From  the  account  given  of  him  in  Rev.  Mr. 
Howe's  celebrated  Century  Sermon,  we  infer  that  he 
was  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  practical  good 
sense  ;  one  who  stood  steadfast  and  immovable  in 
what  Mr.  Howe  terms  "troublous  times,"  referring 
to  the  disorders  and  divisions  occasioned  by  the 
labors  of  Whitefield,  Tennant,  and  other  itinerant 
preachers  of  that  day. 

An  only  son  of  Mr.  Barrett  died  in  1800,  leaving 
a  son,  who,  with  many  eccentricities,  had  a  remark- 
able memory,  and  had  some  acquaintance  with  Latin 
and  Greek.  He  used  to  travel  from  place  to  place  ; 
and  I  well  remember,  at  the  time  I  was  fitting  for 
college,  hearing  him  repeat,  memoriter,  long  passages 
from  Virgil  and  the  Greek  Testament ;  and  how  we 
wondered  that  — 

"  One  small  head  could  carry  all  he  knew." 

Some  fifty  years  since,  he  published  a  small  treatise 
on  English  Grammar,  a  copy  of  which,  with  the 
author's  autograph,  is  now  in  my  possession,  and  is 
a  work  of  considerable  merit. 


62  MARLBOROUGIl    ASSOCIATION. 


REV.   THOMAS   FRINK,   RUTLAND. 

Mr.  Frink  was  the  first  minister  of  Rutland, 
where  he  was  ordained  Nov.  1,  1727.  His  minis- 
try in  that  place  lasted  a  little  more  than  thirteen 
years,  till  Sept.  8,  1740,  when,  for  what  reasons  I 
do  not  learn,  he  was  dismissed.  He  was  installed  at 
Plymouth,  Nov.  3,  1743,  and  afterwards  at  Barre, 
October,  1753,  from  which  charge  he  was  dismissed 
a  third  time,  July  17,  1766.  In  1758,  he  preached 
the  Election  Sermon.  Of  the  time  and  place  of  his 
death  I  find  no  record. 

He  was  born  in  Sudbury,  and  graduated  at  Har- 
vard College  in  1722;  married,  Feb.  13,  1729,  to 
Isabelle,  daughter  of  Samuel  Wright,  Esq.,  of  Rut- 
land.* 

4k 
REV.  NATHAN    STONE,   SOUTHBOROUGH. 

Mr.  Stone  was  a  native  of  Harwich,  now  Brew- 
ster,  where  he  was  born  Feb.  18,  1708,  being  the 
son  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Stone  (H.C.  1690)  minister 
of  that  place.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Gover- 
nor Hiuckley.  The  grandfather  of  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Stone  (Simon  Stone)  came  over  in  the  "  Increase," 
in  1634,  with  his  wife  Joan  and  several  children. 
Rev.  James  Stone,  of  Holliston  (H.C.  1724),  was 

*  A.  Q.  Reg.,  x.  128. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  63 

the  son  of  Ebenezer  Stone,  uncle  of  Rev.  Nathan 
Stone,  of  Southborough. 

Rev.  Nathan  Stone  was  graduated  at  Harvard 
College,  1726  ;  ordained  at  Southborough,  Oct.  21, 
1730. 

By  his  wife  Judith,  he  had  nine  children,  three 
sons  and  six  daughters ;  and  by  a  second  wife,  Mary, 
two  sons.  His  first  wife  died,  Feb.  9,  1748-9,  aged 
thirty-six.  "  He  was,"  says  Whitney,  in  his  "  His- 
tory of  Worcester  County,"  "  a  judicious,  prudent, 
and  faithful  minister  of  Christ,  and  was  continued 
serving  God  in  the  gospel  of  his  Son,  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  his  people,  until  May  31,  1781,  when 
he  departed  this  life,  in  the  seventy-fourth  year  of 
his  life  and  the  fifty-first  of  his  ministry." 

REV.  JOHN  MARTYN,  NORTHBOROUGH. 

Rev.  John  Martyn,  the  first  minister  of  Northbor- 
ough,  was  the  son  of  Captain  Edward  Martyn,  a 
shipmaster  in  Boston,  where  he  was  born  in  1706, 
and  where  he  spent  his  early  life  under  the  care  of 
an  excellent  mother,  who  had  been  left  a  widow  in 
easy  circumstances,  some  time  previous  to  Mr.  Mar- 
tyn's  entering  college.  He  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1724.  For  several  years  after  he  left 
college,  he  devoted  his  attention  to  secular  pursuits, 
and  was  for  some  time  a  citizen  of  Harvard.  He 
*  Mass.  Spy,  June  21,  1781.  Geneal.  Reg.,  x.  230;  x.  128. 


64  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Marrett,  of  Cambridge,  by 
whom  he  had  four  sons,  —  John,  Michael,  Richard, 
and  Nathaniel :  the  two  former  marrying,  and  living 
in  Northborough ;  the  other  two  removing,  one  to 
Windsor,  Conn.,  the  other  to  one  of  the  Southern 
States.  Mary,  the  only  daughter,  married  a  Minot, 
of  Concord,  Mass.  A  daughter  of  John  (Abigail) 
married  Thaddeus  Fay,  jun.,  of  Northborough,  and 
died  April  23,  1740,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 
A  daughter  of  Michael  (Seraphina)  married  Oliver 
Eager,  whose  daughter  Zilpah  married  Colonel  Wil- 
liam Whitney,  son  of  Rev.  Peter  Whitney. 

Mr.  Marty n,  at  about  the  age  of  forty,  turned  his 
attention  to  theological  pursuits,  prepared  for  the 
ministry,  and  was  ordained  as  the  first  minister  of 
the  North  Precinct  in  Westborough,  now  North- 
borough,  May  21,  1746,  O.S.,  answering  to  June  1. 

After  a  ministry  of  twenty  years,  during  which  he 
faithfully  and  acceptably  discharged  the  duties  of  the 
pastoral  office,  April  30,  1767,  after  a  short  illness, 
Mr.  Martyn  departed  this  life,  in  the  sixty-first  year 
of  his  age  and  the  twenty-first  of  his  ministry.  His 
widow  died  Sept.  8,  1775,  aged  seventy.* 

The  following  epitaph  is  inscribed  on  his  grave- 
stone :  — 

"  Under  this  sepulchral  stone  lies  interred,  in  Christian  Jiope 
of  a  blessed  resurrection,  what  was  mortal  of  the  Rev.  John 
Martyn,  A.M.,  the  late  worthy  pastor  of  this  flock,  son  of  the 

*  A.  Q.  Reg.,  x.  127;  and  Massachusetts  Historical  Collections,  x.  85. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  65 

late  Captain  Edward  Martyn,  of  Boston.  Educated  at  Har- 
vard College,  Cambridge.  Was  ordained  in  this  place,  May  21, 
1746.  Approved  himself  an  assiduous,  orthodox,  eminent 
preacher  of  the  great  redemption  by  Jesus  Christ.  After  a  few 
days'  illness,  to  the  inexpressible  grief  of  his  family,  flock,  and 
friends,  expired  April  30,  1767,  aged  sixty-one. 

"  Si  vitam  fide  Christi  egimus  sanctam,  si  quid  prseclare  ges- 
simus  hoc  sit  nostri  monumentum."  * 


REV.  AARON   SMITH,   MARLBOROUGH. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Ipswich,  Oct.  25,  1713, 
was  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  1735,  and  was 
ordained  over  the  church  in  Marlborough  as  the  suc- 
cessor of  Rev.  Benjamin  Kent,  June  11,  1740,  on  a 
salary  of  eighty  pounds  a  year,  equal  to  $266j|.  The 
same  year,  he  married  Martha  Allen,  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Mary  Allen,  of  Gloucester.  His  father- 
in-law,  we  are  told,  was  the  oldest  of  seventeen  chil- 
dren of  Joseph  Allen,  sen.,  by  his  first  wife,  Rachel. 
Mr.  Smith's  wife,  Martha,  died  the  year  after  their 
marriage  ;  having  given  birth,  Aug.  22,  1741,  to 
Uvins,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  other, 
Martha,  became  the  wife  of  Rev.  Josiah  Bridge,  of 
East  Sudbury  (Wayland).  After  the  death  of  his 
wife,  he  remained  a  widower  during  the  remainder 
of  his  life. 


*  Only  two  descendants  of  Rev.  John  Mnrtyn,  and  not  one  of  Rev. 
Peter  Whitney,  are  now  living  in  Northborough. 


66  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

After  a  comparatively  peaceful  and  prosperous 
ministry  of  twenty  years  or  more,  some  dissatisfac- 
tion manifested  itself  among  his  people,  which  was 
increased  by  the  suspicion  that  his  sympathies  were 
rather  with  the  royalists  than  with  the  friends  of 
freedom.  In  1777  two  guns  were  discharged  into  his 
sleeping  apartment  after  he  had  retired  to  rest,  the 
contents  of  which  were  lodged  in  a  beam  near  the 
bed  on  which  he  was  lying.  Whether  this  was  done 
with  murderous  intentions,  or  only  as  a  warning  to 
leave  the  place,  cannot  now  be  known.  The  perpe- 
trators of  the  deed  were  never  discovered,  although 
the  town  offered  a  reward  of  one  hundred  pounds 
for  their  apprehension.  Owing  partly  to  ill  health, 
and  partly,  no  doubt,  to  his  growing  unpopularity,  in 
January,  1778,  he  asked  a  dismission,  which  was 
granted,  April  29,  the  same  year,  "  on  account,"  as  is 
stated  in  the  result  of  a  council,  "  of  his  infirmity 
and  weakness,  which  greatly  affected  his  lungs,  and 
voice  in  particular." 

After  his  dismission,  he  removed  to  East  Sudbury, 
where,  in  the  family  of  Rev.  Josiah  Bridge,  his 
son-in-law,  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days. 
His  death  took  place  March  25,  1781,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-seven. 

Mr.  Smith  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  faithful 
minister  and  a  good  man ;  nor  is  there  any  sufficient 
reason  for  calling  in  question  his  patriotism.  He 
lived  in  troublous  times,  for  which,  as  well  as  for 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  67 

protracted  ill  health,  due  allowance  should  be  made, 
in  forming  an  estimate  of  his  character.  "  Judge 
not,  that  ye  be  not  judged." 

REV   EBENEZER   MORSE,  BOYLSTON. 

Mr.  Morse  was  born  in  Medfield,  March  2,  1718, 
and  was  the  son  of  Hon.  Joshua  and  Mary  (Par- 
tridge) Morse.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard 
College,  of  the  class  of  1737,  and  was  ordained  as 
the  first  minister  of  the  North  Parish  in  Shrewsbury 
(now  Boylston),  Oct.  26,  1743. 

He  retained  his  place,  deriving  part  of  his  sup- 
port from  his  practice  as  a  physician,  till  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Revolutionary  War,  when,  as 
stated  by  Rev.  Mr.  Whitney  in  the  "  History  of 
Worcester  County,"  "  he  was  dismissed,  more  espe- 
cially on  account  of  his  political  sentiments  respecting 
the  controversy  between  Great  Britain  and  America." 
His  dismission  took  place  Nov.  10,  1775.  After  his 
dismission,  he  remained  in  Boylston,  continuing  his 
practice  as  a  physician  till  the  infirmities  of  age 
came  upon  him.  He  died  Jan.  3,  1802,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-four.  One  of  his  sons,  Dr. 
Eliakim  Morse,  of  Watertown,  died  Jan.  9,  1858, 
wanting  only  one  year  and  one  month  of  completing 
a  century  of  years. 

•  See  Muss.  Hist.  Coll.,  vol.  iv.  47:  xxii.  312;  x.  300. 


68  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Rev.  Mr.  Morse,  of  Boylston,  is  spoken  of  as  a 
man  of  strong  passions,  resolute,  fixed  in  his  pur- 
pose, unyielding. 

"He  possessed,"  says  Rev.  Abner  Morse,  "a 
strong,  clear,  and  vigorous  mind,  a  bold  and  inde- 
pendent spirit,  keen  and  ready  wit,  and  a  kind, 
benevolent,  and  Christian  heart." 

The  following  lines  were  written  by  Rev.  Thad- 
deus  M.  Harris,  D.D.,  of  Dorchester,  on  hearing  of 
the  death  of  his  friend  and  benefactor.  Dr.  Harris 
had  been  placed  in  the  family  of  Dr.  Morse  at  the 
early  age  of  ten,  his  parents  having  been  made  home- 
less by  the  conflagration  of  Charlestown  at  the  battle 
of  Bunker  Hill.  He  remained  in  the  family  for 
many  years,  where  he  was  fitted  for  college. 

"  Hast  thou  read  rightly,  Mary  ?    Is  he  dead,  — 
My  early  friend,  protector,  more  than  father  ? 
Oh,  had  I  but  been  present  at  the  scene, 
With  filial  tenderness  to  smooth  his  couch, 
And  kneel  beside  him  for  his  dying  blessing  ! 

But  he  has  blessed  me  :   I  remember  yet, 
When  in  kind  charity  he  took  me  home, 
And  in  the  evening  prayer,  with  lifted  hands, 
And  voice  and  look  inspired  with  heavenly  grace, 
Devoutly  he  commended  me  to  Him 
In  whom  the  fatherless  find  help  and  mercy. 
He  blessed  me,  too,  in  his  benignant  care 
To  soothe  my  grief,  to  satisfy  my  wants, 
And  to  improve  and  store  my  youthful  mind 
With  the  best  fruits  of  knowledge  and  of  virtue. 

Nay,  more :  a  parting  blessing  I  have  shared. 
When  last  I  saw  him,  the  devout  old  man 
Wished  me  Heaven's  favor,  health  and  happiness, 


MARYBOROUGH   ASSOCIATION.  69 

A  long  and  useful  life,  and  peaceful  death, 
And  then  to  meet  him  in  the  realms  of  bliss. 

That  I  may  worthy  prove  to  meet  him  there, 
Let  me  not  fail  those  counsels  to  observe. 
He  gay e,  to  guide  my  youth,  those  maxims  sage, 
Which  formed  my  early  principles,  and  fixed 
The  purpose  and  the  tenor  of  my  life. 
And  let  me  copy  fair,  as  my  safe  model, 
His  exemplary  conduct,  where  appeared 
The  candor  and  benevolence  refined 
Of  Christian  charity,  the  graceful  joy 
And  winning  loveliness  of  piety, 
And  the  firm  faith  and  elevated  hope 
Which  smiled  and  triumphed  in  the  hour  of  death." 

"  DORCASTRIEXSIS." 

REV.  THOMAS    GOSS,   BOLTON. 

Bolton,  formerly  a  part  of  Lancaster,  was  incor- 
porated in  1738 ;  and  Mr.  Goss  was  the  first  minis- 
ter of  the  town.  Of  the  place  of  his  birth  we  have 
no  knowledge.  From  his  age  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  must  have  been  born  about  the  year  1717. 
He  graduated  at  Cambridge  with  the  class  of  1737, 
and  was  a  classmate  of  the  Rev.  Andrew  Elliot  and 
Rev.  Peter  Thacher,  also  of  his  near  neighbor,  Rev. 
Timothy  Harrington,  of  Lancaster.  The  exact  date 
of  his  ordination  is  not  known.  Rev.  Mr.  Edes 
places  it  somewhere  between  September,  1741,  and 
March,  1742,  probably  Nov.  5.  Ills  ministry  lasted 
about  thirty  years,  his  dismission  taking  place  Aug. 
13,  1771.  Difficulties  between  the  minister  and  the 
parish  began  to  show  themselves  in  May  of  the  pre- 


70  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

ceding  year,  when  various  complaints  were  brought 
by  the  church  against  their  pastor.  "  A  council  was 
called,  which  exculpated  him  from  the  charges.  A 
great  controversy  ensued,  when  the  church,  finding 
they  could  obtain  no  relief  from  the  advice  of  sister 
churches,  proceeded  to  dissolve  the  pastoral  relation 
between  them  and  their  minister.  The  neighboring 
churches,  considering  this  a  high-handed  piece  of 
assumption  of  power  on  the  part  of  the  laity,  pro- 
ceeded in  council  to  pass  censures  upon  the  Bolton 
church  in  their  corporate  capacity,  to  deprive  them 
of  covenant  privileges,  and  to  exclude  them  from  all 
communion  and  fellowship  with  other  churches.  The 
people,  being  thus  put  upon  the  defensive,  made  a 
common  cause  of  their  troubles  through  all  the 
towns  in  the  vicinity." ' 

We  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  more  fully  of 
this  controversy  in  our  notice  of  Rev.  Mr.  Mellen, 
of  Sterling,  whose  dismission,  a  few  years  later,  was 
occasioned  in  principal  part  by  his  connection  with 
this  great  controversy  between  the  clergy  and  the 
laity. 

"  From  this  time,"  —  the  time  of  his  dismission,  — 
writes  Rev.  Mr.  Edes,  "  Mr.  Goss  maintained  a  con- 
stant running  fight  with  his  old  parish.  A  portion, 
withdrawing  and  becoming  his  adherents,  held  Sun- 
day services  with  him  in  the  house  lately  occupied 

*  Goodwin's  History  of  Sterling,  in  Worcester  Magazine. 


MARLBOROUGH   ASSOCIATION.  71 

by  General  Holman  ;  while  the  larger  portion  held 
the  meeting-house,  and  settled  another  minister,  Rev. 
John  Walley,  formerly  settled  in  Ipswich. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Goss  in  1780,  and  the 
dismission  of  Mr.  Walley,  which  took  place  some 
time  before  Aug.  22,  1783,  the  two  parties  came  to- 
gether, and  united  in  the  settlement  of  Rev.  Phineas 
Wright,  who  was  ordained  Oct.  26,  1785,  and  was 
the  immediate  .predecessor  of  Rev.  Isaac  Allen. 

Mr.  Goss  has  been  described  to  me,  by  those  who 
remembered  him,  as  a  tall,  spare  man,  of  stern  as- 
pect, and  not  of  gentle  or  winning  manners.  He 
appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  an  indomitable  will 
and  somewhat  forbidding  presence.  With  many  of 
his  brethren,  he  entertained  high  notions  of  clerical 
authority,  —  a  high-church  Puritan,  as  he  might  be 
styled.  In  the  war  of  our  Independence,  he  took 
sides  with  the  royalists,  and  was  a  thorough-going 
Tory,  as  was  his  son  Thomas,  who  fled  to  Annapolis, 
N.S.,  where  he  ended  his  days. 

A  monument  erected  in  the  old  burying-ground  at 
Bolton  contains  the  following  inscription  :  — 

MEMORISE    SACRUM 

REV"'  THOM.E  Goss,  A.M. 

qui  supra  xrfxix  annos,  sacro  Kcclesia;  npud  Boltonienses  Pasto- 
ris  funetus  officio,  e  vita  ccssit  Janrii  Die  17mo  MDCCLXXX. 


Vir  Pietate,  Hospitalitate,  Ainicitin,  aliisq:  virtutibus,  et  publicis 
et  privatis  ornatua  : 


72  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Corpore  quidem  infractus,  Animi  tamen  robustus,  miraq:  Forti- 

tudine  praeditus. 

primus  inter  Clericos 

Temporibus  bisce  infaustis, 

Statum  Ecclesiarum  labefactantes  fortiter  oppugnando 
et  pro  se  ecclesiastica,  sic  ut  a  Majoribus  tradita 

Heroice  obluctando 
graviter  perpessus  est. 


Hoc  monumentum  Amici  posuere. 


REV.   JOSEPH  BUCKMINSTER,   RUTLAND. 

Mr.  Buckminster,  "  the  able,  faithful,  and  worthy 
minister  of  Rutland,"  as  Whitney  designates  him, 
was  a  native  of  Framingham,  where  he  was  born 
March  1,  1719-20;  being  the  son  of  Colonel  Jo- 
seph Buckminster,  jun.,  and  grandson  of  Colonel 
Joseph  Buckminster,  sen.,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
and  leading  citizens  of  Framingham.  His  mother 
was  Sarah  Lawson,  of  Hopkinton.  He  graduated  at 
Harvard  College  in  1739,  and  was  ordained  in  Rut- 
land, as  the  successor  of  Rev.  Thomas  Frink,  Sept. 
15,  1752. 

He  was  married  in  Weston,  June  30,  1743,  to 
Lucy  Williams,  daughter  of  Rev.  William  Williams, 
who  was  a  son  of  Rev.  William  Williams,  of  Hat- 
field.  Her  mother  was  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Solo- 
mon Stoddard,  of  Northampton,  and  first  cousin  to 
the  celebrated  Jonathan  Edwards.  Dr.  Stoddard  is 
spoken  of  in  a  quotation  given  in  Mrs.  Eliza  Buck- 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  73 

minster  Lee's  Memoirs  of  her  father  and  brother,  as 
"that  great  divine,  who  was  considered  by  many 
as  the  light  of  the  New-England  churches,  as  John 
Calvin  was  of  the  Reformation."  President  Styles, 
however,  thinks  he  has  been  overrated,  and  that  his 
son-in-law,  Williams,  of  Hatfield,  was  "  the  greater 
man." 

"  Mr.  Buckminster  continued,"  says  the  historian 
of  Worcester  County,  "the  able,  faithful,  and  worthy 
minister  of  Rutland,  until  Nov.  3,  1792,  when  he 
died,  in  the  seventy-third  year  of  his  age  and  the 
fifty-first  of  his  ministry."  In  Allen's  Biographies, 
he  is  styled  "  a  Sublapsarian  Calvinist."  —  "  It  is  a 
comfort  to  think,"  writes  Mrs.  Lee,  "  that  the  thing 
itself  is  not  so  harsh  as  its  name ;  for  it  seems  an 
effort  to  soften  the  stern  features  of  Calvinism,  and 
to  mingle  a  little  human  clay  in  the  iron  and  granite 
of  its  image." 

Mr.  Buckminster  had,  by  his  wife  Lucy,  nine  chil- 
dren ;  one  of  whom,  Joseph,  born  Oct.  4,  1751,  was 
educated  at  Yale  College,  where  he  graduated  in 
1770.  This  wa.s  the  eminent  Dr.  Buckminster,  of 
Portsmouth,  father  of  Joseph  Stevens  Buckminster, 
the  talented  and  eloquent  minister  of  Brattle-street 
Church,  Boston,  both  of  whom  died  within  twenty- 
four  hours  of  each  other,  June  10,  1812.  Memoirs 
of  the  father  and  son,  by  Mrs.  Eliza  Buckminster 
Lee,  forms  a  volume  that  should  be  in  every  library. 
Mr.  Buckminster,  of  Rutland,  published  two  Dis- 


74  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

courses  on  Family  Religion  ;  a  Sermon  at  the  Ordina- 
tion of  Rev.  E.  Sparhawk  ;  a  Sermon  on  the  Covenant 
with  Abraham ;  and  several  other  pieces. 

REV.   JOHX  SWIFT,   ACTOX. 

I  have  been  able  to  obtain  but  few  facts  in  relation 
to  the  life  and  ministry  of  Mr.  Swift.  He  was  born 
in  Framingham,  Jan.  14,  1714,  and  was  the  only 
son  of  Rev.  John  and  Mrs.  Sarah  (Tileston)  Swift. 
He  was  educated  at  Harvard  College,  being  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  class  of  1733.  Of  his  father,  one  of  the 
original  members  of  the  Marlborough  Association, 
we  have  already  given  an  account.  Two  of  his  sis- 
ters married  clergymen  :  one,  Elizabeth,  became  the 
wife  of  Rev.  James  Stone,  of  Holliston ;  another, 
Anne,  married  Rev.  Philip  Payson,  the  first  minister 
of  Walpole,  in  this  State,  whose  grandson,  Rev.  Dr. 
Payson,  of  Portland,  was  distinguished  in  his  day. 

Mr.  Swift  was  ordained  as  minister  of  Acton, 
where  he  continued  to  labor  in  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry till  his  death,  which  took  place  Nov.  7,  1775, 
in  the  sixty-first  year  of  his  age  and  the  thirty- 
seventh  of  his  ministry.  He  died  of  the  small-pox, 
as  did  also,  the  same  year,  his  son  John,  who  was 
a  practising  physician  in  Acton. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  75 


REV.  JOSEPH  DAVIS,   HOLDEN. 

Mr.  Davis,  the  first  minister  of  Holden,  was  born 
in  Lexington  or  Concord,  in  the  year  1720,  and  was 
the  son  of  Simon  Davis,  sen.,  whose  son  Simon  was 
the  father  of  Deacon  Isaac  Davis,  of  Northborough, 
and  grandfather  of  Hon.  John  Davis,  of  Worcester, 
Ex-Governor  of  this  Commonwealth.  Mr.  Davis  was 
a  graduate  of  Harvard  College,  of  the  class  of  1740, 
and  ordained  as  the  minister  of  Holden,  Dec.  22, 
1742.  After  a  faithful  ministry  of  thirty  years,  his 
connection  with  his  parish  was  dissolved,  Oct.  18, 
1772.  He  lived  twenty-seven  years  after  his  dismis- 
sion, and  "  was  employed,"  says  Whitney,  "  in 
preaching  the  gospel  in  various  places ;  and  on 
Wednesday,  the  second  day  of  January,  1793,  he 
preached  a  special  lecture  to  the  people  of  Holden, 
as  on  that  day  half  a  century  from  the  imbodying  the 
church  and  his  ordination  expired."  The  sermon 
was  printed.  He  died  March  4,  1799. 

REV.   JOHN  SECCOMB,   HARVARD. 

John  Seccomb,  son  of  Peter  and  Hannah  (Willis) 
Seccomb,  was  born  in  Medford,  April,  1708,  and  was 
educated  at  Harvard  College,  having  graduated  in 
1728.  The  late  Rev.  Dr.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris 
states  on  the  authority  of  Thaddeus  Mason,  Esq.,  of 


76  MARYBOROUGH.    ASSOCIATION. 

Cambridge,  a  classmate  of  Mr.  Seccomb,  that  he 
resided  in  Cambridge  after  he  graduated ;  and  informs 
us,  that,  among  other  poetical  effusions,  he  was  the 
author,  in  1730,  of  the  famous  ditty,  entitled  "Father 
Abbey's  Will,"  which  has  often  been  reprinted  both 
in  England  and  in  this  country.* 

Mr.  Seccomb  was  ordained  as  the  minister  of  Har- 
vard, Oct.  10,  1733,  the  year  following  the  incorpo- 
ration of  that  town,  the  day  on  which  the  first  church 
was  organized.  He  was  married,  March  10,  1737, 
to  Mercy,  daughter  of  Rev.  William  Williams,  of 
Weston,  whose  father,  Rev.  William  Williams,  of 
Hatfield,  married  a  daughter  of  the  celebrated  Solo- 
mon Stoddard,  minister  of  Northampton,  who,  accord- 
ingly was  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Seccomb. 

By  his  own  request,  as  he  states  in  the  church 
records  of  Harvard,  he  was  dismissed  by  an  eccle- 
siastical council,  Sept.  7,  1757.  Of  .the  causes  of 
his  dismission,  the  record  is  wholly  silent.  After  his 
dismission,  he  removed  to  Nova  Scotia,  and  was  in- 
stalled over  a  Dissenting  church  in  Chester,  where 
he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days,  and  where  he 
died  in  1792,  making  his  wife  executrix  of  his  will. 

It  was  during  his  ministry  at  Harvard  that  "  the 
great  awakening."  as  it  was  called,  under  the  preach- 
ing of  Whitefield,  Tennant,  and  others,  took  place  ; 
and  Mr.  Seccomb  is  reputed  to  have  been  one  of 

*  See  Mass.  Mag.  for  1794,  vol.  vi  p.  696;  and  Cambridge  Chronicle 
for  Nov.  18,  1854.   ' 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  77 

the  few  ministers  of  this  region  who  approved  of  the 
measures  of  those  enthusiastic  itinerants.  Whether 
this  had  any  thing  to  do  with  his  subsequent  dismis- 
sion, we  are  unable  to  say  :  but  it  is  said,  that  he 
filled  up  life  with  duty  and  usefulness ;  that  he  was 
calvinistic  in  his  sentiments,  pungent  in  his  preach- 
ing ;  that  his  ministrations  were  blessed  to  the 
people  in  Harvard ;  and  that  "  a  revival  continued 
three  years,  and  resulted  in  bringing  about  one  hun- 
dred into  the  Redeemer's  kingdom."  * 

We  learn,  moreover,  that,  after  his  settlement  in 
Chester,  he  retained  "in  a  remarkable  degree  his 
mental  powers,  popularity,  and  usefulness  ;  and  con- 
tinued to  preach  to  his  people,  to  good  acceptance, 
when  he  required  the  aid  of  others  in  walking  to 
visit  the  sanctuary  of  God." 

While  at  Harvard,  he  built  the  large  three-story 
mansion  near  the  common,  which  afterwards  came 
into  the  -possession  of  Henry  Bromfield,  Esq.,  and 
subsequently  of  his  son-in-law,  Rev.  Dr.  Pearson. 

The  venerable  mansion,  embosomed  in  a  grove  of 
'ancient  elms,  a  few  years  since,  while  in  possession 
of  Dr.  Pearson's  son,  Henry  B.  Pearson,  Esq.,  was 
destroyed  by  fire. 

Besides  "  Father  Abbey's  Will "  and  several  other 
poetical  effusions,  written  before  he  entered  the  min- 
istry, he  was  the  author  of  two  discourses,  printed 

•  American  Quarterly  Review,  x.  58. 


78  MARYBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

during  his  ministry  in  Chester  :  one,  an  ordination 
sermon ;  the  other,  occasioned  by  the  death  of  the 
Hon.  Abigail  Belcher,  wife  of  Lieutenant- Governor 
Belcher,  then  Chief-Justice  of  Nova  Scotia,  deliv- 
ered at  Halifax,  Oct.  20,  1771. 

REV.   JOHN  MELLEN,   STERLING. 

Born  in  Hopldnton,  March  14,  1722,  O.S. ;  edu- 
cated at  Cambridge  ;  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College, 
of  the  class  of  1741, —  Mr.  Mellen  became  the  first 
minister  of  Sterling,  where  he  was  ordained  on  the 
19th  of  December,  1744.  After  a  ministry  of  a 
little  more  than  one-third  of  a  century,  he  was  dis- 
missed by  mutual  consent,  Dec.  14,  1778.  After  an 
interval  of  a  little  more  than  five  years,  during  which 
time  he  continued  to  reside  in  Sterling,  he  received 
a  call,  and  was  installed  as  minister  of  Hanover,  Feb. 
11,  1784.  Here  he  remained  twenty-one  years,  till 
the  infirmities  of  age  induced  him  to  retire  from  the 
ministry.  He  was  dismissed  February,  1805  ;  and, 
on  the  following  September,  he  removed  to  Reading, 
where,  in  the  family  of  his  daughter,  the  widow  of 
Rev.  Caleb  Prentice  (H.C.  1765),  he  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  He  died  July  4,  1807,  aged 
eighty-five. 

Rebecca,  wife  of  Rev.  John  Mellen,  born  Sept. 
22,  1727,  was  the  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Prentice, 
of  Lancaster,  three  of  whose  daughters  were  married 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  79 

to  neighboring  ministers  :  viz.,  Gushing,  of  Shrews- 
bury ;  Rogers,  of  Leominster ;  and  Mellen,  of  Ster- 
ling. 

The  three  sons  of  Rev.  Mr.  Mellen  — John,  Henry, 
and  Prentice  —  received  a  collegiate  education,  all 
being  graduates  of  Harvard  College :  the  eldest, 
John,  in  1770 ;  the  other  two  in  1784. 

John,  born  July  8,  1752,  was  a  tutor  in  college 
from  1780  to  1783.  On  retiring  from  the  ministry, 
he  returned  to  Cambridge,  where  he  lived,  honored 
and  respected,  till  his  death  in  1828.  His  daughter 
Catherine  was  married,  first,  to  Professor  Levi 
Frisbie,  and,  after  his  death  to  Professor  James 
Hayward,  of  Harvard  College. 

Henry  Mellen,  born  1757,  died  at  Dover,  N.H. 

Prentice  Mellen,  born  1764,  was  Chief-Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Maine  from  the  separation  of 
that  State  from  Massachusetts,  in  1820,  till  his  death 
in  1840.  He  was  the  father  of  the  late  Granville 
Mellen  (H.C.  1818). 

The  wife  of  Rev.  Mr.  Mellen,  born  Sept.  22,  1727, 
lived  with  the  husband  of  her  youth  fifty-three  years, 
and  died  at  Hanover,  Jan.  11,  1802,  aged  seventy- 
five. 

For  about  twenty  years  from  the  commencement 
of  Mr.  Mollen's  ministry  in  Sterling,  nothing  oc- 
curred to  seriously  interrupt  the  harmony  of  pastor 
and  people.  But  about  this  time,  just  before  the 
beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  a  serious  con- 


80  MARLBOltOUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

troversy  arose  between  several  of  the  ministers  in: 
this  vicinity  and  the  churches  over  which  they  pre- 
sided. It  related  in  part  to  the  assumption  of  eccle- 
siastical power  by  the  clergy,  and  in  part  also  to  the 
introduction  of  more  liberal  views  into  the  pulpit 
than  the  people  were  ready  to  receive. 

"  Most  of  the  churches  in  this  vicinity  were,  at 
that  time,  supplied  by  clergymen  distinguished 
among  their  brethren  for  strength  of  intellect,  depth 
of  research,  and  energy  of  character.  Such  were 
Mr  Harrington,  of  Lancaster ;  Mr.  Adams,  of  Lu- 
nenburg ;  Mr.  Rogers,  of  Leominster ;  Mr.  Goss, 
of  Bolton ;  Mr.  Fuller,  of  Princeton ;  Mr.  Morse,  of 
Boylston ;  and  particularly  Mr.  Mellen,  of  Sterling, 
who,  in  his  time,  probably  stood  at  the  head  of 
the  clergy  of  the  county.  The  two  first  of  these 
fathers,  by  uniting  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent  with 
the  innocence  of  the  dove,  had  so  permanently  won 
the  affections  of  their  people,  that  they  alone  were 
enabled  to  maintain  their  places.  The  other  five 
were  compelled  to  sacrifice  their  livings  to  the  spirit 
of  the  times."  (Goodwin's  History  of  Sterling,  p.  217, 
in  the  second  volume  of  the  Worcester  Magazine.) 

Rev.  John  Rogers  was  the  first  to  suffer  for  heresy, 
by  being  deposed  from  his  office  by  sentence  of  an 
ecclesiastical  council  of  fifteen  churches. 

Mr.  Mellen  was  understood  to  hold  views  substan- 
tially the  same  as  his  neighbor,  Mr.  Rogers,  but  was 
less  open  in  avowing  them ;  and,  in  1765,  he  pub- 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  81 

lished  a  volume  of  sermons,  highly  creditable  to  his 
scholarship  and  ability,  in  which  he  takes  "  a  middle 
course  between  the  two  opposite  extremes  of  Calvin 
and  Arminius." 

It  was  not,  however,  so  much  on  account  of  the 
doctrinal  views  he  entertained  and  preached  that  he 
incurred  censure  and  reproach,  as  on  account  of  his 
assumption  of  authority  in  matters  relating  to  church 
discipline.  On  this  point,  an  unhappy  controversy 
arose  between  Mr.  Mellen  and  his  church,  which, 
after  the  calling  of  several  councils,  resulted  in  his 
dismission,  by  a  vote  of  his  church,  confirmed  by  the 
parish,  November,  1774. 

"  Liberally  endowed  by  nature  with  a  strong  and 
energetic  mind,  which  was  highly  improved  by  dili- 
gent and  successful  cultivation,  he  obtained  a  high 
rank,  both  as  a  preacher  and  a  scholar." 

The  publications  of  Mr.  Mellen,  so  far  as  known 
to  us,  are  the  following :  A  series  of  Discourses, 
addressed  to  Parents,  Children,  and  Youth,  1756 ; 
a  volume  of  Sermons  upon  the  Doctrines  of  Christi- 
anity, 1765  ;  Thanksgiving  Sermon  on  the  Reduction 
of  Canada,  1760 ;  Sermon  on  Account  of  the  Sick- 
ness, 1756  ;  Sermon  at  the  General  Muster,  1756  ; 
Sermon  occasioned  by  the  Death  of  Sebastian  Smith, 
1765 ;  Sermon  at  the  Singing  Lecture  in  Marl- 
borough,  1773. 

Inscription  on  his  monument  at  South  Read- 
insr:  — 


82  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

"  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Rev.  John  Mellen,  born  March 
14,  1722;  graduated  at  Harvard  University,  1741  ;  thirty -four 
years  pastor  of  the  church  at  Sterling,  twenty-one  years  at 
Hanover;  died  July  4,  1807.  Mrs.  Rebecca  Mellen,  daughter 
of  Rev.  John  Prentice,  of  Lancaster,  born  Sept.  22,  1727,  hav- 
ing lived  fifty-three  years  with  the  husband  of  her  youth,  died 
at  Hanover,  Jan.  11,  1802. 

"  Their  children,  in  whose  bosoms  their  virtues  are  faithfully 
recorded,  in  testimony  of  filial  respect,  affection,  and  gratitude, 
have  erected  this  monument." 


REV.   THADDEUS  MACARTY,   WORCESTER. 

Thaddeus,  son  of  Captain  Thaddeus  Macarty,  of 
Boston,  was  born  in  1721,  and  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1739,  at  the  early  age  of  eighteen.  He 
was  ordained  as  minister  of  Kingston,  in  the  Old 
Colony,  Nov.  3,  1742,  where  he  remained  just  three 
years,  being  dismissed  Nov.  3,  1745.  He  preached  a 
farewell  discourse  from  the  text,  "  Therefore,  watch, 
and  remember,  that,  by  the  space  of  three  years, 
I  ceased  not  to  warn  every  one  night  and  day  with 
tears"  (Acts  xx.  31).  His  dismission  from  the 
church  in  Kingston,  it  is  said,  was  occasioned  by  his 
supposed  sympathy  with  Whitefield.  He  had  invited 
that  eloquent  enthusiast,  so  it  was  reported,  to  preach 
in  his  pulpit  at  a  communion  lecture ;  to  prevent 
which  the  people  of  Kingston  fastened  the  doors 
of  the  church  against  him.  Regarding  this  as  a  per- 
sonal insult,  as  well  as  an  encroachment  on  his  rights 
as  a  minister,  he  omitted  the  lecture,  and  imme- 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  83 

diately  asked  a  dismission.  June  10,  1747,  he  was 
installed  over  the  church  in  Worcester,  where,  after 
a  faithful  ministry  of  thirty-seven  years,  he  finished 
his  course,  and  entered  into  his  rest,  July  20,  1784, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three. 

Mr.  Macarty  was  married,  Sept.  8,  1743,  to  Mary, 
daughter  of  Francis  Gatcomb,  a  wealthy  merchant 
in  Boston,  who  had  emigrated  from  Wales. .  They 
had  fifteen  children,  one  of  whom  was  a  graduate 
of  Yale  College  in  1766,  was  a  physician,  and 
died  in  Keene,  N.H.,  in  1802.  Another  son 
settled  in  Worcester,  and  is  still  remembered  as  a 
wealthy  and  respected  citizen  of  that  town. 

One  of  the  daughters  was  married  to  Hon.  Benja- 
min West,  of  Charlestown,  N.H. 

Rev.  Mr.  Macarty  is  represented  as  being  "  tall 
in  stature,  in  person  slender  and  thin,  with  a  dark 
and  penetrating  eye,  a  distinct  and  sonorous,  though 
somewhat  sharp-toned,  voice ;  his  address  impressive 
and  solemn."  (A  writer  in  the  Hist.  Col.,  quoted 
by  Rev.  William  B.  Sprague,  D.D.,  in  Annals  of  the 
American  Pulpit,  vol.  i.  p.  423.) 

Several  of  Mr.  Macarty 's  occasional  sermons  were 
published  during  his  lifetime  ;  and  one,  the  farewell 
sermon  at  Kingston,  in  1804,  twenty  years  after  his 
deajh.  Among  the  former  were  the  following  :  — 

A  Sermon  on  the  Execution  of  Arthur,  a  Negro, 
1768  ;  a  Sermon  on  the  Execution  of  William  Lind- 
sey,  1770  ;  a  Sermon  on  the  Execution  of  Buchanan, 


84  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

Brooks,  Ross,   and  Mrs.   Spooner,  for   the   murder 
of  her  husband  at  Brookfield,  in  1778. 

REV.  JOSEPH   WHEELER,    HARVARD. 

Mr.  Wheeler  was  born  in  Concord,  March  18, 
1736,  and  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1757, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  Two  years  afterwards, 
Dec.  12,  1759,  he  was  ordained  as  the  minister  of 
Harvard,  which  office  he  retained  about  nine  years ; 
being  dismissed  at  his  request  on  account  of  ill-health, 
July  28,  1768.  After  his  dismission,  he  continued  to 
live  in  Harvard,  where  he  sustained  various  offices 
of  honor  and  trust,  and  where  he  was  highly  esteemed 
as  a  faithful  magistrate  and  a  good  man. 

He  afterwards  removed  to  Worcester,  having  been 
chosen  register  of  probate  for  Worcester  County, 
which  office  he  held  till  his  death,  Feb.  10,  1793,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-eight. 

Shattuck,  in  his  "  History  of  Concord,"  states  that 
Mr.  Wheeler  resided  at  Worcester,  where  he  was 
representative,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  register  of 
probate,  from  1775  to  his  death  in  1793. 

His  descendants  are  numerous  and  highly  re- 
spectable. 


MARLBOROUGH   ASSOCIATION.  85 


REV.  TIMOTHY   HARRINGTON,   OF  LANCASTER, 

was  born  in  "Waltham,  Feb.  10,  1716;  graduated 
at  Cambridge  in  the  class  of  1737.  He  was  first 
settled  as  the  minister  of  Lower  Ashuelot,  or  Swan- 
sey,  N.H.,  whence  he  was  called  to  take  charge  of 
the  large  parish  of  Lancaster.  His  installation  took 
place  Nov.  16,  1748.  He  remained  sole  pastor  of 
the  church  and  minister  of  the  town,  till  the  settle- 
ment of  his  colleague,  Rev.  Dr.  Thayer,  Oct.  9, 
1793  ;  which  auspicious  event  he  survived  a  little 
more  than  two  years.  His  death  took  place,  after 
several  years  of  increasing  infirmity,  which  rendered 
him  incapable  of  active  service,  Dec.  18,  1795,  being 
fourscore  years  old. 

He  married,  for  his  first  wife,  his  cousin,  Anna 
Harrington,  born  June  2,  1716,  who  died  May  19, 
1778.  Their  daughter,  Anna,  was  married,  first,  to 
Dr.  Bridge,  of  Petersham,  and  afterwards  to  Dr. 
Joshua  Fisher,  of  Beverly,  "  the  beloved  physician  " 
and  eminent  citizen,  the  founder  of  the  professorship 
of  Natural  History  in  Harvard  University. 

Mr.  Harrington's  second  wife  was  the  widow  of 
Rev.  Matthew  Bridge,  of  Framingham,  who  died 
May  12,  1805. 

"  Mr.  Harrington  continued  to  live  in  harmony 
with  his  people  during  a  long  and  useful  ministry ; 
no  lasting  disturbance  injured  his  good  influence ;  no 


86  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

root  of  bitterness  sprang  up  between  him  and  his 
people.  He  is  represented  as  having  possessed  re- 
spectable powers  of  mind,  with  great  mildness  and 
simplicity  of  character.  Liberal  in  his  feelings,  he 
practised  charity  in  its  extended  as  well  as  in  its 
narrow  sense.  True  piety,  and  an  habitual  exercise 
of  the  moral  and  social  virtues,  rendered  him  highly 
useful  in  his  sacred  office,  and  an  interesting  and 
instructive  companion  in  the  common  walks  of  life."  * 
"  He  is  described  by  one  who  knew  him  well,"  — 
I  quote  from  the  Centennial  Address  of  the  same 
writer,  —  "as  a  model  of  ministerial  excellence  ;  as 
possessing  a  good  portion  of  scientific  attainments, 
singular  pertinency  and  fervor  in  the  performance 
of  devotional  exercises ;  a  pattern  of  Christian  cheer- 
fulness and  affability,  of  sympathy  with  the  sick  and 
afflicted,  and  of  compassion  to  the  poor.  A  man 
thus  constituted,  well  deserves  the  appellation  of  the 
Christian  gentleman." 

REV.  JOSIAH   BRIDGE,   EAST   SUDBURY 
(WAYLAND). 

Josiah  Bridge,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College,  of 
the  class  of  1758,  was  born  in  Lexington,  Dec.  13, 
1739,  and  was  the  son  of  Deacon  John  and  Sarah 
(Tidd)  Bridge.  His  grandfather,  Matthew  Bridge, 

*  Willard's  Hist,  of  Lan.,  vol.  i.  Wor.  Mag.,  325. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  87 

of  Lexington,  was  son  of  Matthew,  and  grandson  of 
Deacon  John  Bridge,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Cambridge.  Three  years  after  leaving  college,  Nov. 
4,  1761,  before  he  had  completed  his  twenty-second 
year,  he  was  ordained  as  minister  of  the  town  of 
East  Sudbury,  as  successor  of  Rev.  William  Cook, 
where  he  remained  till  his  death,  which  took  place 
June  19,  1801,  in  the  sixty-second  year  of  his  age 
and  the  fortieth  of  his  ministry. 

Mr.  Bridge  married  Martha,  a  twin-daughter,  and 
the  only  surviving  child,  of  Rev.  Aaron  Smith,  of 
Marlborough,  who  was  born  Aug.  22,  1741,  and  died 
June  8,  1824,  aged  eighty-three. 

Seven  children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters, 
were  the  fruit  of  this  marriage  ;  all  of  whom  —  with 
the  exception  of  Deacon  Josiah  Bridge,  of  Lancaster, 
who  died  in  1826,  at  the  age  of  forty-two  —  lived  to 
a  good  old  age. 

1.  Martha,   born    Sept.   8,    1768;   married    John 
Prentiss,   who   early   in    this    century    emigrated    to 
Western  New  York,  and  lived  in  Steuben,  Steuben 
County.    At  the  time  of  her  death,  a  few  years  since, 
at  the  age  of  upward  of  ninety  years,  she  left  nearly 
one  hundred  descendants,  almost  all  living  near  her. 

2.  Aaron,  born  Aug.  11,  1770;   unmarried;   died 
in  1850,  aged  eighty. 

3.  William,  born  Oct.  23,  1773 ;  was  a  merchant 
first  in  Boston,  and  afterwards  in  London,  England. 
When  about  forty  years  old,  he  retired  from  business, 


88  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

and  lived  with  his  mother  during  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  After  her  death,  he  married,  but  died  with- 
out issue  in  1854,  aged  eighty-one. 

4.  Anna,  born  March  15,    1776 ;  married  Rev. 
Luther  Wright,  of  Medway  (H.C.  1796) ;  and  died 
Feb.  23,  1861,  aged  eighty-five. 

5.  Sarah,  born  June  3,  1780 ;  married  Rev.  Al- 
pheus  Harding,  of  New  Salem ;  and  died  March  23, 
1859,  aged  seventy-nine. 

6.  Josiah,  born  Aug.   20,   1782;   deacon   of  the 
church  in  Lancaster ;  afterwards  removed  to  Lowell, 
where  he  died  in  1827.     Two  of  his  sons,  Azarelah 
M.    Bridge    and    William    F.    Bridge,    entered    the 
ministry.     The  former  died  in   1866  :   the  latter,  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  College,  of  the  class  of  1846, 
is  now  settled  in  the  ministry  at  Peterborough,  N.Y. 
Another  son  is  a  teacher  at  Cincinnati. 

7.  Charles,  born  May  30,  1785  ;  unmarried  ;  died 
1850,  aged  sixty-five. 

The  father  of  this  large  family  was  a  highly 
esteemed  and  greatly  beloved  minister.  "  The  praise 
of  Bridge,"  says  Dr.  McKean,  in  his  sermon  at  the 
ordination  of  Rev.  Mr.  Wight,  one  of  his  successors, 
"is  still  in  all  our  churches."  —  "His  library,"  writes 
Rev.  Mr.  Bridge,  of  Peterborough,  "  was  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation  when  I  was  a  child ;  and  I  often 
resorted  to  it.  It  numbered  four  or  five  hundred 
volumes,  and  contained  works  of  history,  and  many 
of  the  writings  of  the  best  English  divines.  It 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  89 

was  particularly  rich  in  the  writings  of  the  Puritan 
fathers.  There  were  many  volumes  in  the  ancient 
languages  ;  some  in  the  Hebrew.  My  grandfather," 
he  adds,  "was  an  Arminian,  and  must  have  been 
somewhat  eloquent  as  a  preacher." 

I  subjoin  a  list  of  his  publications,  so  far  as 
known  to  us.  They  are,  — 

A  Sermon  delivered  at  Truro,  at  the  Ordination 
of  Rev.  Jude  Damon,  in  1787  ;  the  Election  Ser- 
mon in  1789 ;  the  Convention  Sermon,  1792 ;  the 
Dudleian  Lecture,  Cambridge,  1797 ;  a  Charge  to 
his  Son-in-law,  Rev.  Luther  Wright,  of  Medway, 
in  1798. 

The  sermon  preached  at  the  funeral  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Bridge,  by  Rev.  Moses  Adams,  of  Acton, 
speaks  of  him  in  the  following  terms :  "  Nature  had 
endowed  him  with  a  strong  mind  and  sound  judg- 
ment. Providence  had  given  him  opportunities,  which 
he  happily  improved,  for  treasuring  an  ample  stock 
of  science,  and  particularly  that  theological  knowl- 
edge which  was  necessary  to  shining  in  his  pro- 
fession. He  was  furnished  with  eminent  talents  for 
speaking  in  the  pulpit.  In  addition  to  his  gogd 
personal  appearance,  he  had  a  pleasantness,  a  solem- 
nity and  dignity  in  his  voice,  in  his  style  and  address, 
which  seldom  concentre  in  any  man.  .  .  .  Wherever 
he  was  called  to  preach,  his  appearance  gave  pleas- 
ure, and  he  was  heard  with  avidity ;  while  you  [his 
parishioners]  were  considered  as  an  happy  people 


90  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

in  having  such  a  minister.  .  .  .  Among  his  brethren 
of  the  ministry,  he  was  greatly  beloved  and  esteemed. 
To  the  Association  of  which  he  was  a  member,  his 
removal  is  an  unspeakable  loss.  .  .  .  He  was  enjoyed 
by  all  before  him  while  they  lived,  and  by  all  who 
were  after  him  while  he  lived.  ...  In  a  meeting 
at  his  house,  the  present  season,  he  greatly  edified 
and  affected  the  Association,  by  conversing  on  his 
expected  dissolution.  He  seemed  to  consider  it  as 
the  last  time  he  should  ever  receive  them  at  his 
house,  or  perhaps  meet  with  them.  He  conversed 
as  a  man  of  God,  as  a  father  who  was  soon  to  be 
taken  from  our  head.  He  lamented  that  the  mem- 
bers were  not  all  present,  as  he  had  hoped  to  see 
them  once  more." 

We  learn,  from  a  note  to  the  sermon,  that  he  did 
meet  with  the  Association  once  more  at  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Whitney's,  in  Northborough ;  and  that  it  was  on  his 
return  through  Lancaster,  while  on  a  visit  to  his  son, 
Deacon  Josiah  Bridge,  he  was  taken  ill,  and  died 
under  the  operation  of  an  emetic  administered  for 
his  relief. 

REV.   PETER  WHITNEY,  NORTHBOROUGH. 

Mr.  Whitney  was  the  son  of  Rev.  Aaron  and 
Alice  (Baker)  Whitney,  of  Petersham,  and  was 
born  Sept.  6,  O.S.,  1744.  After  graduating  at 
Cambridge  in  1762,  he  taught  school  in  Lexington, 


LX 


'MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  91 

where  he  was  admitted  as  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church,  Jan.  2,  1763. 

He  succeeded  Rev.  John  Martyn  as  minister  of 
Northborough,  where  he  was  ordained  Nov.  4,  1767, 
about  six  months  after  the  death  of  his  predecessor. 
March  11,  1768,  he  was  married  to  Julia,  daughter 
of  William  Lambert,  of  Reading,  born  April  9, 
1742.  By  this  marriage  he  had  eleven  children ; 
viz.,  — 

I.  Thomas  Lambert,  born  Dec.  10,  1768;  married 
Mary  Lincoln,  of  Hingham  ;  died  June,  1812. 

II.  Peter  (Rev.),  born  Jan.  19,  1770;  H.C.  1791; 
ordained   over  the  First  Congregational  Church   in 
Quincy,  Feb.  5,  1800;  died  March  3,  1843.     He 
was   married,   April   30,    1800,  to   Jane   Lincoln,  a 
sister  of  his  brother  Thomas's  wife,  who  died  Nov. 
11,  1832.      Two  of  his  sons,  George  (H.C.  1824) 
and  Frederic  Augustus  (H.C.  1833),  were  clergymen, 
settled,  the  former  in  West  Roxbury  and   Jamaica 
Plain,  and  the  other  in  Brighton. 

III.  Julia,  died  in  infancy. 

IV.  Julia,  born  Aug.  25,  1772 ;  married  Antipas 
Brigham,  1799;  died  Nov.  29,  1800. 

V.  Margaret,  born  Feb.  12,  1774  ;  married  Deacon 
Josiah  Adams,  of  Quincy  ;  died  Feb.  3,  1849. 

VI.  Elizabeth,  born  Sept.  6,  1775  ;  married  Ebe- 
nezcr  Adams,  brother   of  Josiah,   of  Quincy ;   died 
Sept.  26,  1850. 

VII.  William    (Colonel),   born  Dec.    14,    1776; 


92  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

married  Zilpah  Eager,  of  Northborough,   where  he 
died  July  24,  1834. 

VIII.  Aaron,  born  Aug.   11,   1778;  removed  to 
one  of  the  Western  States,  where  he  died. 

IX.  Sarah,  born  Nov.  3,  1781 ;  married  Lemuel 
Brackett,  of  Quincy.     She  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty- 
four,  respected  and  beloved,  and  died  in  the  winter 
of  1864. 

X.  Abel,  born  Nov.    3,   1781  ;   married   Susanna 
White,  of  Brookline.     He  was  a  deacon  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church  in  Cambridge,  where  he  died 
Feb.  22,  1853.     One  of  his  sons,  Benjamin  White 
Whitney  (H.C.  1838),  is  a  lawyer  at  Cambridge. 

XI.  John,  born  Sept.  29,  1785  ;  married  Sophia 
Vinal,  of  Scituate.     He   died  at  Quincy,  where  he 
had  been  a  teacher  and  merchant,  Jan.  2,  1850. 

The  ministry  of  Rev.  P.  Whitney,  of  North- 
borough,  covers  a  period  of  nearly  half  a  century, 
terminated  by  his  sudden  death,  Feb.  29,  1816. 

The  following  notice  of  Mr.  Whitney  is  quoted 
from  the  "  History  of  Northborough,"  by  his  suc- 
cessor, as  a  just  tribute  to  his  memory  :  — 

"  Distinguished  for  the  urbanity  of  his  manners ; 
easy  and  familiar  in  his  intercourse  with  his  people ; 
hospitable  to  strangers,  and  always  ready  to  give  a 
hearty  welcome  to  his  numerous  friends ;  punctual 
to  his  engagements ;  observing  an  exact  method  in 
the  distribution  of  his  time ;  having  a  time  for  every 
thing,  and  doing  every  thing  in  its  time,  without 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  ^3 

hurry  or  confusion ;  conscientious  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  as  a  Christian  minister ;  catholic  in  his 
principles  and  in  his  conduct;  always  taking  an  in- 
terest in  whatever  concerned  the  prosperity  of  the 
town  and  the  interests  of  religion,  —  he  was  for  many 
years  the  happy  minister  of  a  kind  and  affectionate 
people." 

Publications  of  Rev.  Mr.  Whitney. 

1.  The  History  of  the  County  of  Worcester,  1793. 

2.  Two  Discourses,  on  the  Occasion  of  a  Public  Fast,  1774. 

3.  A  Sermon  on  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  1776. 

4.  A  Half-Century  Discourse,  1796. 

5.  An  Ordination  Charge  at  Boylston,  1797. 

6.  A  Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  his  Son,  Quincy,  1800. 

7.  A  Sermon  on  the  Death  of  Washington,  1800. 

8.  Address  at  the  Dedication  of  a  Church,  Southborough,  1806. 

9.  A  Funeral  Sermon  at  Shrewsbury,  on  the  Wife  of  Rev.  Dr. 

Sumner,  1810. 

REV.  JOSEPH  WILLARD,  BOXBOROUGH. 

Joseph,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Sarah  Willard,  was 
born  in  Grafton,  Dec.  27,  1741 ;  was  graduated  at 
Harvard  College  in  1765.  Joseph's  grandfather, 
Major  Simon  Willard,  was  the  grandson  of  Major 
Simon  Willard,  distinguished  in  the  early  annals 
of  New  England,  whose  father,  Richard,  was  from 
Horsmonden,  in  Kent,  England. 

After  Joseph  began  to  preach,  he  was  unanimously 
chosen  minister  of  Bedford,  but  declined  a  settle- 
ment. He  was  ordained  at  Mendon,  April  19,  17G9, 


94  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

and  was  dismissed  in  good  standing,  Dec.  14,  1782. 
He  was  installed  at  Boxborough,  Nov.  2,  1785,  where 
he  lived  till  his  death,  which  took  place  in  September, 
1828,  having  nearly  completed  the  eighty-seventh 
year  of  his  age.  He  married  Hannah  Parker,  by 
whom  he  had  thirteen  children,  two  of  whom  were 
educated  at  Harvard  College,  having  graduated, 
Joseph  in  1793,  the  other,  Benjamin,  in  1809.  Joseph 
was  minister  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Ports- 
mouth, N.H.,  afterwards  of  Newark,  N.J.,  and 
died  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  in  1823.  Benjamin  studied 
law  in  Newark,  and  became  a  planter  in  Parkers- 
burg,  Va.,  where  he  died  in  1857.  Two  of  the 
daughters,  Clarissa  and  Martha,  lived  many  years 
after  the  death  of  their  father,  a  solitary  life  in  the 
old  family  mansion  in  Boxborough,  receiving  a  small 
annual  stipend  from  the  Congregational  Charitable 
Society  of  Massachusetts.* 

Mr.  Willard,  of  Boxborough,  had  the  reputation  of 
a  faithful  minister  and  a  good  man  ;  and  I  have  always 
heard  him  spoken  of  in  terms  of  respect.  His  sphere 
was  a  humble  one :  but,  as  head  of  a  large  family 
and  pastor  of  a  little  flock,  he  rendered  no  unim- 
portant service  to  the  public ;  filling  his  place  with 
credit  to  himself,  and  usefulness  to  others. 

*  See  History  of  the  Willard  Family,  by  Joseph  Willard,  Esq.,  of 
Boston,  who  mentions  the  remarkable  coincidence,  that  his  father,  Joseph 
Willard,  President  of  Harvard  College,  and  Rev.  Joseph  Willard,  of  Box- 
borough,  cousins  of  several  removes,  were  the  fathers  each  of  thirteen 
children. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  95 


REV.  JACOB   BIGELOW,   SUDBURY. 

Mr.  Bigelow  was  born  in  Waltham  in  1742,  and 
was  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Susannah  (Mead)  Bige- 
low. He  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1766, 
and  was  ordained  as  minister  of  Sudbury,  Nov.  11, 
1772  ;  retaining  his  connection  with  the  parish  till 
his  death,  Sept.  12,  1816,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 
Owing  to  his  infirmities,  he  was  unable,  for  the  few 
last  years  of  his  life,  to  perform  the  duties  of  his 
office,  and  accordingly  received  as  a  colleague  Rev. 
Timothy  Hilliard,  who  was  ordained  June  1,  1814, 
but  who  was  dismissed  Sept.  26,  1815. 

Mr.  Bigelow  was  married  to  Widow  Elizabeth 
Wells,  daughter  of  Gershom  Flagg,  whose  first  hus- 
band was  brother-in-law  of  Governor  Samuel  Adams. 

They  had  three  children, —  Elizabeth,  Henry,  and 
Jacob.  Elizabeth  married  Asahel  Wheeler,  of  Sud- 
bury ;  Henry,  a  merchant  in  Baltimore,  married 
Sophia,  daughter  of  Deacon  Joseph  Field,  of  Boston, 
and  sister  of  Rev.  Dr.  Field,  of  Weston.  Their  only 
child  married  J.  D.  Williams,  of  Baltimore.  The 
only  living  child  is  Dr.  Jacob  Bigelow,  the  distin- 
guished physician  of  Boston,  who  married  Mary  Scol- 
lay,  of  Boston.  Their  son,  Dr.  Henry  J.  Bigelow, 
married  Susan  Sturgis,  whose  daughter  Catherine 
married  Francis  Parkman,  of  Boston. 

"  Mr.  Bigelow  was  a  faithful  and  acceptable  minis- 


96  MARLBOROUGIl    ASSOCIATION. 

ter,  simple  and  unostentatious  in  his  life,  eminently 
cheerful  and  social  in  his  character.  Like  many 
other  country  clergymen,  he  devoted  the  first  half 
of  the  week  to  laboring  on  his  farm,  and  the  last 
half  to  preparing  his  sermons.  He  was  beloved  and 
greatly  respected  in  his  parish,  with  which  he  re- 
tained his  pastoral  connection  for  more  than  forty 
years.  His  widow,  an  educated,  intelligent,  and 
most  excellent  lady,  survived  him  but  a  few  months. 
I  am  sure  that  to  her  kind,  devoted,  and  judicious 
care  of  my  early  education  and  welfare,  I  owe  much 
of  whatever  success  has  attended  me  in  my  life." 
(Manuscript  letter  of  Dr.  Jacob  Bigelow.) 

REV.  JONATHAN  NEWELL,   STOW. 

Mr.  Newell  was  the  son  of  Deacon  Josiah  Newell, 
and  was  born  at  Needham,  Dec.  8,  1749.  Having 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1770,  he  taught 
school  one  year  in  Brookline,  and  then  entered  on  a 
course  of  theology,  under  the  instruction  of  Rev. 
Samuel  West  (H.C.  1761),  of  Needham,  afterwards 
of  Hollis  Street,  Boston,  with  whom  he  remained 
two  years.  He  was  ordained  at  Stow,  Oct.  11,  1774; 
having  received,  about  the  same  time,  a  call  from  the 
church  in  Putney,  Vt.,  and  from  the  church  in  Stow. 
"  Mr.  NewelPs  ministry  was  marked,"  says  Mr. 
Sibley,  who  was  settled  as  his  colleague  a  short  time 
before  his  death,  "  with  consummate  prudence.  In 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  97 

sentiment,  he  was  a  moderate  Calvinist.  Notwith- 
standing the  schism  through  the  community  in  the 
latter  part  of  his  ministry,  he  exchanged,  as  long  as 
he  continued  to  preach,  with  both  divisions  of  the 
clergy,  with  whom  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of  mak- 
ing exchanges  previously.  His  sermons  were  sensible, 
but  his  delivery  was  not  animated.  His  mind  was 
strong  and  discriminating,  his  judgment  good,  and 
he  well  understood  human  nature.  He  was  endued 
with  strong  passions;  but  he  had  the  great  merit  of 
being  their  master.  He  was  remarkable  for  kindness 
and  benevolence.  As  he  went  from  house  to  house, 
the  children  commonly  found  his  pockets  to  be  the 
depositories  of  raisins  or  other  fruits  which  in  those 
days  were  scarce.  If  a  man  met  with  misfortune,  or 
was  embarrassed  with  sickness,  he  gave  him  an  order 
on  the  collector  to  charge  to  himself  the  ministerial 
part  of  his  tax,  and  frequently  more.  Thus  he 
sometimes  relinquished  in  a  year  a  quarter  part  of 
his  salary,  which  never  exceeded  $400,  and  which, 
in  the  distress  incident  to  the  Revolutionary  War, 
was,  for  some  years,  insufficient  to  pay  for  the  keep- 
ing of  his  horse.  His  deportment  was  simple, 
unobtrusive,  and  grave,  without  being  austere.  He 
was  a  large,  vigorous  man,  and  had  immense  physical 
strength.  In  conversation,  he  was  animated  and  very 
interesting,  quite  a  humorist,  and  enjoyed  a  joke  so 
much,  that  he  would  often  tell  one  when  it  had  been 
at  his  own  expense." 

7 


98  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

He  continued  his  ministry  with  a  united  people 
nearly  fifty-five  years,  till  14th  May,  1829,  when 
John  Langdon  Sibley  (JLC.  1825)  now  Librarian  of 
Harvard  University,  was  ordained  as  his  colleague. 

"  At  this  time,  he  was  laboring  under  the  infirmities 
of  age,  though  he  occasionally  walked  and  rode 
about.  He  became  so  deaf  that  it  was  very  difficult 
to  talk  with  him ;  but  his  conversation  was  instruct- 
ive, religious,  touching,  beautiful,  such  as  always 
commands  admiration  when  it  comes  from  one  who 
is  consciously  and  quietly  passing  away  to  the  future 
world.  After  the  settlement  of  his  colleague,  he 
preached  but  one  sermon.  It  was  carefully  prepared, 
and  replete  with  wisdom  and  feeling. 

Mr.  Newell  was  a  good  farmer.  He  kept  good 
stock.  He  admired  and  loved  his  handsome,  showy, 
well-fed  horse,  and  bestowed  particular  care  on  him 
after  he  was  old  and  almost  useless.  He  worked 
hard  himself,  and  looked  with  satisfaction  on  his 
well-tilled  acres.  For  reclaiming  a  bog-meadow,  at 
a  time  when  such  improvements  were  seldom  thought 
of,  he  received  a  premium  from  the  Agricultural 
Society  ;  and  by  the  use  of  rackets,  or  snow-shoes, 
he  travelled  over  the  intertwined  and  matted  grass- 
roots, and  cut  an  immense  burden  of  hay. 

Mr.  Newell  was  interested  in  science,  and  especially 
in  mechanics ;  and  he  left  many  curious  implements, 
and  parts  of  machinery,  contrived  by  himself.  He 
invented  the  nail-cutting  machine,  which,  with  the 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  99 

addition  of  some  improvements,  is  still  used  in  Eng- 
land and  America.  With  another  gentleman,  Mr. 
Jonathan  Ellis,  he  established  nail-works  at  Need- 
ham.  But  the  enterprise  resulted  in  pecuniary  loss, 
and  was  given  up.  There  was  a  struggle  in  his 
mind,  it  is  said,  whether  he  should  not  leave  his  so- 
ciety for  an  occupation  which  was  likely  to  be  useful 
and  very  profitable,  at  the  same  time  that  it  was  con- 
genial to  his  tastes ;  but  reflection  led  him  to  the 
determination  to  remain  with  his  people,  and  this 
gave  new  vigor  to  his  ministry.  Still  his  interest  in 
such  subjects  continued  as  long  as  he  lived.  Several 
months  before  he  died,  he  lost  one  of  his  fingers 
by  a  circular  saw  which  he  was  examining.  This 
probably  hastened  the  termination  of  a  life  fast  wan- 
ing through  the  infirmities  of  years.  He  died  Oct. 
4,  1830.  Mr.  NewelFs  first  wife  was  Sarah  Fiske, 
of  Watertown,  or  Newton,  who  is  said  to  have  been 
very  beautiful.  She  died  of  consumption,  within  a 
year  after  their  marriage. 

To  his  second  wife,  Lucy,  daughter  of  Rev.  Daniel 
Rogers,  of  Littleton  (H.C.  1725),  he  was  married 
in  1781.  She  was  an  extraordinary  woman,  highly 
cultivated,  refined,  universally  beloved,  disinterested, 
shining  in  the  most  intellectual  circles  in  the  metrop- 
olis, and  performing  with  dignity  and  grace  every 
duty  pertaining  to  a  farmer's  or  a  minister's  wife  in 
the  country.  She  had  such  a  peculiar  sense  of  pro- 
priety, and  was  so  devoted  to  her  husband,  that,  dur- 


100  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

ing  a  happy  union  of  nearly  fifty  years,  she  never 
spent  a  night  away  when  her  husband  was  at  home. 
She  died  June  26,  1846,  at  the  age  of  ninety.  She 
was  sister  of  Mrs.  Samuel  Parkman,  of  Boston,  and 
aunt  of  Rev.  Francis  Parkman,  D.D.,  the  late  respected 
minister  of  the  New  North  Church,  in  that  city." 
Their  children  were,  — 

1.  Jonathan  (H.  C.  1805),  a  physician  in  Stow. 

2.  Samuel,  a  merchant  in  Boston,  and  for  several 
years  postmaster  at   Cambridge.      He  was   mortally 
wounded  on  the  railroad  between  Andover  and  Law- 
rence, Jan.  6,  1853,  at  the  time  when  the  only  son 
of  President  Pierce  was  killed. 

3.  Charles,  at  one  time  a  merchant  in  Stow,  now 
a  resident  in  Chattanooga,  Tenn.     He  was  one  of  the 
forty  boys  and  one  girl  born  in  Stow  in  1793. 

4.  George  (H.C.  1823),  settled  as  a  physician  in 
Petersham  ;  died  in  Stow,  Nov.  4,  1831. 

5.  Daniel  Rogers,  born  July  5,  1801.     When  his 
father,  a  few  years  before  his  death,  lost  all  his  prop- 
erty by  being   a   bondsman,   this   son   was   enabled, 
through  friends,  to  retain  the  homestead,   and  thus 
give  to  his  parents  a  home  in  the  old  place. 

Mr.  Newell  published  during  his  life,  — 

1.  A  Century  Sermon,  preached  at  Stow,  May  16,  1783,  at  the 

Conclusion  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 

2.  A  Charge  at  the  Installation  of  Rev.  William  Ritchie,  at 

Needham,  Dec.  12,  1825. 

3.  An  Aged  Minister's  Review  of  the  Events  and  Duties  of 

Fifty  Years,  printed  in  1825. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  101 


REV.  JOEL   FOSTER,   EAST    SUDBURY. 

Rev.  Mr.  Foster  was  born  in  Western,  now  War- 
ren, on  the  western  borders  of  Worcester  County, 
Mass.,  and  was  the  son  of  Nathan  and  Elizabeth 
(Loresford)  Foster.  "  His  father,"  writes  one  of 
his  grand- daughters,  "  was  an  independent  farmer,  a 
sturdy  old  Federalist  I'll  be  bound,  and  an  upright 
and  strong-minded  man,  whom  his  children  honored 
and  reverenced  all  their  lives  long.  He  lived  in 
Western,  a  very  retired  village;  .  .  .  and  there,  I 
think,  his  large  family  of  sons  and  daughters  were 
born.  .  .  .  Joel  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth,  A.D. 
1777;  and  he  was  twice  settled  in  the  ministry, — 
first,  at  New  Salem  [1779],  afterwards  at  East  Sud- 
bury,  now  Wayland  [1803].  I  remember  him  as  a 
very  genial  and  pleasant  companion.  His  visits  at 
our  parsonage  [Brighton,  or,  as  it  was  then  called, 
Little  Cambridge,  where  his  brother  John,  Rev.  John 
Foster,  D.D.,  was  minister]  were  always  welcomed 
by  the  children,  as  well  as  the  elders  of  the  family. 
He  had  a  good  deal  of  humor,  which  was  rather  a 
family  trait ;  and  between  him  and  my  father  there 
was  always  cherished  a  warm  sympathy  and  fraternal 
affection." 

During  three  or  four  of  the  last  years  of  his  life, 
he  was  frequently  taken  from  his  labors  by  sickness. 
His  disease  indicated  to  him  approaching  dissolu- 


102  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

tlon.  "  When  the  hour  drew  near  "  (we  quote  from 
an  obituary  notice  in  the  "Columbian  Centinel"), 
"  he  looked  into  the  future  world  with  a  lively  hope ; 
and,  in  the  full  possession  of  his  reason,  gave  his  sur- 
rounding friends  the  most  comforting  evidence  that 
he  was  prepared  for  his  change,  and  that  for  him  to 
die  would  be  gain.  As  a  man  and  Christian,  Mr. 
Foster  was  much  respected  by  those  who  knew  him 
best.  As  a  preacher,  he  was  sensible,  serious,  and 
practical ;  as  a  son,  dutiful ;  as  a  husband,  kind  ;  as  a 
father,  tender;  and,  as  a  brother,  affectionate." 

REV.   MOSES  ADAMS,  ACTON. 

Mr.  Adams  was  born  in  Framingham,  Oct.  4, 
1749,  and  was  the  son  of  Moses  and  Lois  (Haven) 
Adams,  and  great-great-great-grandson  of  Henry 
Adams,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Medfield.  He 
was  married  to  Abigail,  daughter  of  Hon.  Josiah 
Stone,  and  lived  for  several  years  after  his  marriage 
in  Framingham,  where  two  of  his  children,  Lois 
and  Ann,  were  born.  His  daughter  Lois  became 
the  wife  of  Dr.  John  Park,  of  Boston,  whose  school 
for  young  ladies  was  so  celebrated  in  his  day.  The 
other  daughter,  Ann,  was  married  to  Rev.  Nicholas 
Bowes  Whitney,  of  South  Hingham. 

Mr.  Adams  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in 
1771 ;  was  ordained  as  minister  of  Acton,  June  25, 
1777,  where  five  other  children  were  born  to  him. 


MARLBOROUGH    AS   OCIATIOX.  103 

1.  Moses,  H.C.  1797. 

2.  Nabby. 

3.  Josiah,  H.C.  1801,  was  a  lawyer  in  Framinghara. 

4.  Joseph,   H.C.    1803,  a  lawyer  in  West  Cam- 
bridge ;    married   Almira    Fiske,    daughter   of    Rev. 
Thaddeus  Fiske,  D.D.,  of   that  place.     His   melan- 
choly death  took  place  June  10,  1814. 

5.  Clarissa. 

Rev.  Mr.  Adams  died  Oct.  13,  1819,  at  the  age 
of  seventy. 

The  writer  of  an  obituary  notice  in  the  "  Columbian 
Centinel ''  says  of  Mr.  Adams,  that,  "  as  a  theologian, 
he  was  rational,  catholic,  and  evangelical ;  and  his 
preaching  was  sound,  practical,  and  affectionate.  In 
the  days  of  his  prosperity,  he  was  at  once  the  social 
friend,  the  agreeable  gentleman,  and  the  dignified 
minister  of  religion.  With  his  people  he  enjoyed  a 
great  share  of  peace  and  tranquillity.  They  es- 
teemed and  loved  him ;  and  he  reciprocated  their 
respect  and  affection."  The  writer  adds  :  "  It  has 
not  perhaps  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  minister  to  be 
so  severely  tried  and  afflicted  as  was  Mr.  Adams ; 
and  perhaps,  too,  no  man  in  our  times  ever  sustained 
such  inexpressible  weight  of  sorrow  and  grief  more 
like  a  thorough  and  practical  Christian  than  he  did. 
Here  the  greatness  of  his  soul,  the  strength  of  his 
faith,  and  the  power  of  divine  grace,  appeared  with  a 
lustre  that  commanded  the  astonishment  and  admira- 
tion of  every  enlightened  observer." 


104  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 


REV.   PHINEAS  WRIGHT,  OF   BOLTON, 

was  born  in  Westford,  June  2,  1747 ;  graduated, 
with  the  first  honors  of  his  class,  at  Harvard  College 
in  1772.  His  ordination  as  minister  of  Bolton  took 
place  Oct.  26,  1785  ;  the  sermon  on  the  occasion 
being  preached  by  Rev.  Dr.  Cummings,  of  Billerica. 

He  was  married,  May  31,  1787,  to  Susanna, 
daughter  of  Rev.  John  Gardner,  of  Stow.  They 
had  no  children  ;  and,  after  the  death  of  her  husband, 
Mrs.  Wright  lived  with  his  successor  in  the  ministry, 
Rev.  Isaac  Allen,  till  her  death.  Mr.  Wright's  life 
and  ministry  came  to  an  abrupt  termination  by  a 
paralytic  stroke,  Dec.  22,  1802,  in  the  fifty-sixth 
year  of  his  age  and  the  eighteenth  of  his  ministry. 
He  is  described  as  rather  tall  in  stature,  a  some- 
what dark  man,  stern  in  manners,  "  very  much  of  a 
hell-fire  preacher,"  says  one  who  was  brought  up  by 
him,  "  and  a  great  disciplinarian  "  (manuscript  letter 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Edes). 

"  Mr.  Wright,"  continues  Mr.  Edes,  "  was  less 
fortunate  than  his  predecessor,  Mr.  Goss,  in  one  re- 
spect certainly.  He  found  no  friend  desirous  of  air- 
ing his  Latinity  in  the  composition  of  an  epitaph,  or 
a  lying  tombstone,  or  one  upright  and  downright  as 
truth  itself.  His  remains  are  in  the  South  Burying 
Ground,  with  no  stone  to  mark  the  spot." 

In  an  obituary  notice  contained  in  the  "  Columbian 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  105 

Centinel"  for  Jan.  8,  1803,  he  is  represented  as  one 
"  eminently  qualified  for  the  situation  which  Provi- 
dence assigned  him ; "  and  it  is  added,  that  "  by  the 
blessing  of  God,  and  the  wise  management,  the  mul- 
tiplied labors,  the  manly,  unwearied,  spirited,  and 
persevering  exertions,  of  this  servant  of  Christ,  the 
church  has  become  truly  respectable  for  its  regu- 
larity, peace,  and  unity,  for  the  numbers  of  its  mem- 
bers, and  their  religious  character.  .  .  . 

"  In  the  pulpit,  his  manner  was  grave,  his  style 
plain  and  logical.  His  voice  was  clear,  audible,  and 
of  a  happy  tone  for  a  speaker.  He  always  studied 
conciseness  and  simplicity,  rather  than  prolixity  and 
ornament  in  his  pulpit  exhibitions.  .  .  .  He  had 
little  regard  to  confessions  of  faith  formed  by  men 
uninspired,  and  avowed  the  adoption  of  the  Sacred 
Oracles  as  the  only  standard  of  his  faith  and  prac- 
tice. .  .  .  He  was  a  pleasant  and  affectionate  hus- 
band, a  sincere  and  constant  friend,  a  cheerful 
companion,  tender  in  his  feelings  towards  all  his 
relations,  an  intrepid  advocate  for  civil  and  religious 
liberty,  a  stable  patriot,  a  most  valuable  citizen,  a 
devout  and  exemplary  Christian." 

REV.  SAMUEL  SUMNER,  SOUTHBOROUGII. 

Mr.  Sumner  was  the  son  of  Rev.  Dr.  Sumner,  of 
Shrewsbury,  and  Lucy  (Williams)  Sumner,  and  was 
born  Sept.  24,  1705.  He  graduated  at  Dartmouth 


106  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

College  in  1786,  and  was  ordained  as  minister  of 
Southborough,  June  1,  1791,  where  he  remained  a 
little  more  than  six  years.  After  his  dismission, 
Dec.  1,  1797,  he  removed  to  Bakersfield,  Vt.,  where 
he  was  installed,  and  where  he  died  in  1836,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one. 

Mr.  Sumner  married  a  Widow  Williams,  formerly 
Taylor,  of  Southborough. 

REV.  DAVID  KELLOGG,  OF  FRAMINGHAM, 

was  born  in  Amherst,  in  1755,  and  was  the  son  of 
Daniel  and  Esther  (Smith)  Kellogg.  He  graduated 
at  Dartmouth  College  in  1775,  and  was  ordained 
at  Framingham,  Jan.  10,  1781.  He  received  the 
honorary  degree  of  D.D.  from  his  Alma  Mater,  and 
continued  in  the  active  service  of  the  ministry,  till 
September,  1830,  almost  half  a  century,  when  he  vol- 
untarily retired  from  his  pastoral  office.  During  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  he  lived  in  comparative  retire- 
ment, retaining  to  the  last  the  respect  and  confi- 
dence of  his  parish  and  of  the  town ;  and  on  the 
13th  of  August,  1843,  he  "slept  with  his  fathers,"  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven. 

Mr.  Kellogg  was  married  to  Sally,  daughter  of 
Rev.  Matthew  Bridge,  his  predecessor  in  office. 
She  was  born  Jan.  9,  1753,  and  died  Feb.  14,  1826, 
aged  seventy-three. 

Their  children  were,  — 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  107 

t 

1.  Mary,  married  Dr.  John  Ball  Kittredge,  of 
Framingham ;  2.  Sally,  married  Deacon  William 
Brown,  of  Boston ;  3.  Nancy,  unmarried  ;  4.  Gard- 
ner ;  5.  Martha;  6.  David;  7.  Charles. 

Rev.  Mr.  Barry,  one  of  his  successors  in  the  pas- 
toral office,  pays  the  following  just  tribute  to  his 
memory  :  — 

"Possessed  of  respectable  talents,  united  with  a 
character  marked  by  energy,  decision,  and  self-re- 
liance, his  manners  ripening  into  mingled  dignity 
and  ease,  his  voice  full  and  commanding,  he  main- 
tained, through  the  remarkable  vicissitudes  of  opinion 
and  sentiment  which  agitated  the  period  of  his  min- 
istry, —  extending  through  half  a  century,  —  a  char- 
acter of  unquestioned  sincerity,  consistency,  and 
uprightness,  which  commanded  respect  and  confi- 
dence. .  .  . 

"  Many,"  he  adds,  "  will  recall  with  pleasure  his 
venerable  form,  slightly  bowed,  his  tall  and  robust 
figure,  his  fresh  yet  placid  countenance,  his  dignified 
and  courteous  manners,  as  he  moved  among  us,  almost 
sole  survivor  of  the  generation  who  had  welcomed 
him  to  the  sacred  office  as  their  Christian  pastor  and 
guide."  (Barry's  History  of  Framingham,  p.  124.) 

His  only  publications  are  a  Sermon  preached  at 
Framingham  before  the  Middlesex  Lodge  in  1796, 
and  an  Address  on  Presenting  the  Right  Hand  of 
Fellowship,  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  Mr.  Dickin- 
son, at  Holliston. 


108  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 


REV.    EZRA   RIPLEY,   CONCORD. 

Ezra  Ripley  was  born  in  Woodstock,  Conn., 
May  1,  1751,  and  was  the  son  of  Noah  and  Lydia 
(Kent)  Ripley.  He  entered  Harvard  College  in 
1772,  at  the  mature  age  of  twenty-one,  and  grad- 
uated in  1776,  in  a  class  which  numbered  among  its 
members  Governor  Gore,  and  no  less  than  three 
distinguished  judges  of  the  Superior  Court,  —  viz., 
Samuel  Sewall,  George  Thatcher,  and  Roya-1  Tyler ; 
himself  holding  a  respectable  rank  among  his  class- 
mates. 

He  studied  theology  with  Rev.  Jason  Haven,  of 
Dedham,  and  was  ordained  as  the  minister  of  Con- 
cord, Nov.  7,  1778.  During  the  first  forty  years 
of  his  ministry,  the  town  was  united  as  one  parish ; 
and  not  a  single  individual,  it  is  said,  during  this 
time  paid  a  ministerial  tax  to  any  other  society.  He 
lived  to  a  great  age ;  having  completed,  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  Sept.  22,  1841,  the  full  period  of  four- 
score and  ten  years. 

Dr.  Ripley  was  married,  Nov.  16,  1780,  to  Mrs. 
Phoebe  (Bliss)  Emerson,  the  widow  of  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Emerson,  his  predecessor  in  the  ministry,  and 
mother  of  Rev.  William  Emerson,  of  Boston.  By  her 
he  had  three  children,  —  a  daughter  and  two  sons. 
His  eldest  son,  Samuel  (H.C.  1804),  was  for  many 
years  the  minister  of  the  first  parish  in  Waltham. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  109 

He  died  suddenly  of  disease  of  the  heart,  in  his 
carriage,  on  his  way  to  the  old  manse  in  Concord, 
Nov.  24,  1847,  where  he  was  to  spend  Thanks- 
giving Day. 

Daniel  Bliss,  the  younger  son  (H.C.  1805),  was 
a  lawyer,  and  died  in  Alabama  in  1825. 

His  daughter  lived  and  died  in  Concord. 

Mrs.  Ripley  died  Feb.  16,  1825,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-three.  Soon  after  the  death  of  his 
wife,  he  was  induced  by  the  approaching  infirmities 
of  age  to  ask  for  a  colleague.  His  parish  complied 
with  his  request ;  invited  to  fill  that  office  Rev. 
Hersey  Bradford  Goodwin  (H.C.  1826),  who  was 
ordained  Feb.  17,  1830,  and  who  died,  greatly  la- 
mented, July  9,  1836. 

Rev.  Barzillai  Frost  (H.C.  1830)  was  chosen  to 
fill  his  place  as  colleague,  and  was  ordained  in  1838, 
and,  after  the  death  of  Dr.  Ripley,  became  sole  pas- 
tor of  the  first  parish,  which  office  he  retained  till 
his  death  in  1858.  Mr.  Frost  preached  a  funeral 
sermon  on  the  death  of  his  venerable  colleague,  which 
was  printed.  Dr.  Ripley  was  fortunate  in  having  for 
his  colleagues  men  of  great  moral  worth,  ripe  schol- 
ars, and  faithful  and  devoted  ministers,  under  whom 
the  society  greatly  prospered,  "holding  the  unity  of 
the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace." 

During  his  long  ministry  of  sixty-three  years,  he 
wrote,  as  he  states  in  his  Half-century  Sermon,  as 
many  as  twenty-five  hundred  sermons,  several  of 


110  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

which,  delivered  at  ordinations  and  on  other  extraor- 
dinary occasions,  were  published,  two  in  the  "  Lib- 
eral Preacher  "  for  1827  and  1829.  He  also  wrote  a 
pamphlet  of  sixty  pages,  printed  in  1827,  relating  to 
the  battles  of  Lexington  and  Concord,  the  latter  of 
which  was  fought  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  house. 

Dr.  Kipley  was  a  man  of  medium  height,  very 
erect,  and  bearing  marks  of  unwonted  vigor  even 
after  he  had  passed  the  bounds  of  threescore  and 
ten.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  stately 
and  dignified  in  his  manners,  and  retaining  the  cos- 
tume of  the  eighteenth  century  till  near  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth.  To  a  stranger,  there  might  seem 
to  be  something  of  hauteur  in  his  looks  and  de- 
meanor ;  but  he  was  accessible  to  his  friends,  and 
genial  and  affable  in  his  intercourse  with  them. 

He  was  not  a  learned  theologian,  or  an  eloquent 
pulpit  orator ;  but  he  was  an  animated  preacher,  had 
a  strong,  sonorous  voice,  and  was  listened  to  with  in- 
terest by  his  own  people,  and  in  the  neighboring 
churches. 

A  just  and  honorable  testimony  is  paid  to  his 
memory  in  the  biographical  notice  contained  in  the 
annals  of  the  "  American  Unitarian  Pulpit,"  by  Rev. 
Dr.  Sprague,  of  Albany,  from  which  we  take  the 
following  extracts. 

"Rev.  Dr.  Hosmer,  of  Buffalo,*   who  passed  his 

*  Now  President  of  Antioch  College,  Yellow  Springs,  Ohio. 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  Ill 

early  days  under  the  ministry  of  Dr.  Ripley,  states  his 
impressions  concerning  him  in  the  following  terms :  — 

"  It  was  not  true  of  Dr.  Ripley,  that  the  pulpit 
was  his  throne.  .  .  .  His  throne  was  his  character, 
and  he  sat  upon  it  a  born  king.  Some  might  say 
that  he  was  arbitrary  and  imperious ;  but  all  knew  he 
was  a  MAN,  fearless  in  his  duty,  and  determined  to  walk 
in  the  ordinances  of  his  God  and  Saviour,  blameless. 

"  In  parochial  service,  Dr.  Ripley  was  a  pattern  of 
fidelity.  Every  corner  of  the  town,  every  house, 
knew  his  friendly  greeting.  He  knew  all  about 
every  family  and  their  ancestors,  often  better  than 
they  themselves  knew.  Before  Sunday  schools  were 
organized,  he  met  all  the  children  at  their  school- 
houses  for  catechizing ;  and  those  who  did  not  know 
their  catechism  were  made  to  feel  that  they  must 
know  it  before  the  next  parochial  round.  It  was  a 
great  moment  when  we  stood  up  for  the  first  time,  at 
the  call  of  our  name,  before  Dr.  Ripley.  Then  he 
was  the  main  stay  of  the  common  schools,  and  all  the 
benevolent  and  social  organizations  of  the  town. 
As  Dr.  Ripley  grew  old,  his  nature  grew  mellow. 
His  will  and  his  thought  got  into  his  heart,  and 
he  drew  the  young  lovingly  about  him.  He  never 
failed  as  old  men  often  do  :  affection  kept  him 
young.  He  preached  better  after  he  was  seventy- 
five  years  old  than  ever  before :  indeed,  when 
almost  blind,  and  not  long  before  his  departure  so 
full  of  years,  he  preached  without  notes  ;  and  they 


MARLBOROUGII    ASSOCIATION. 

who  listened  said  he  never  preached  so  well.  I  can 
readily  believe  it :  he  was  almost  home;  the  light  and 
love  of  heaven  filled  his  soul ;  and  that  last  utter- 
ance, at  the  end  of  his  ninety  years'  pilgrimage,  was 
his  saintly  benediction  to  all  of  us  who  follow  him." 

Dr.  Jarvis,  of  Dorchester,  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Concord,  gives  us  some  of  the  reminiscences  of  his 
early  days  in  relation  to  Dr.  Kipley.  "  All  my 
father's  family,"  he  writes,  "  went  to  meeting  both 
forenoon  and  afternoon.  There  was  no  law ;  we 
were  never  commanded  to  go  to  church  ;  but  we  all 
went  as  a  matter  of  course,  as  if  nothing  else  was 
desirable  or  possible,  as  we  went  to  our  meals  or  to 
our  beds.  We  looked  on  our  own  minister  as  the  only 
possible  or  desirable  man  to  fill  that  place  :  and  the 
idea  or  the  wish  to  have  any  other  no  more  occurred  to 
us  than  to  have  any  other  man  and  woman  for  our 
parents.  I  think  this  was  the  general  feeling  of  the 
town,  though  there  were  some  who  thought  the  doc- 
tor was  distant,  aristocratic,  unapproachable.  .  .  . 

"  He  seemed  to  consider  all  the  children  as  objects 
of  his  care  and  attention.  He  recognized  them  in 
the  street.  He  followed  them  after  they  left  the 
schools ;  and  when  they,  as  many  of  them  did,  went 
abroad,  and  labored  in  other  towns  and  States,  he 
still  retained  his  interest  in  their  progress  and  wel- 
fare. He  used  to  speak  with  manifest  pleasure  of 
his  extensive  parish,  which  had  its  representatives  in 
almost  every  State  of  the  Union,  and  in  a  large  por- 


MARLBOROTJGH    ASSOCIATION.  113 

tion  of  the  towns  of  Massachusetts.  He  made  no 
secret  of  his  gratification  when  they  prospered,  or  of 
his  sorrow  when  they  failed  in  fortune,  or  of  his  mor- 
tification when  they  failed  in  character.  He  seemed 
to  feel  that  their  success  was  due  in  great  measure  to 
the  training  they  had  received  at  home  and  in  the 
schools  of  Concord.  .  .  .  He  always  had  a  small 
salary ;  but,  as  he  was  a  very  careful  economist  and 
an  excellent  administrator,  he  was  enabled  to  gratify 
his  inclination  to  be  very  generous.  He,  in  the 
earlier  or  middle  part  of  his  ministry,  took  some 
boarders ;  he  and  his  daughters  taught  some  private 
scholars ;  and  thus  money  was  raised  to  send  his  two 
sons  to  Harvard  College.  According  to  the  earlier 
custom,  much  was  given  to  him  by  the  farmers  and 
others,  to  eke  out  his  salary.  Thus  he  lived  com- 
fortably, and  within  the  means  granted  to  him,  or 
rather  earned  by  him ;  and  I  never  knew  of  his 
being  embarrassed  in  his  pecuniary  matters.  He 
owned  his  house,  and  several  acres  of  very  valuable 
land,  which  he  cultivated  with  the  ordinary  skill  and 
success.  .  .  . 

"  Dr.  Ripley  had  great  confidence  in  the  progress  of 
society.  He  used  to  talk  with  much  satisfaction  on 
this  subject.  He  thought  each  generation  improved 
upon  their  fathers.  He  said  there  was  much  more 
religion  of  heart  and  life,  though  perhaps  less  of  the 
language  of  religion,  in  his  later  than  in  his  earlier 
years.  He  often  said  he  loved  to  associate  with 

8 


114  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

young  men  and  women,  because  they  were  so  much 
better  than  the  contemporaries  of  his  youth.  Conse- 
quently, he  drew  many  young  people  about  him. 
He  entered  into  their  feelings,  and  they  entered  into 
his  plans  ;  and  thus  they  cordially  and  pleasantly  co- 
operated. Even  to  his  latest  years,  his  house  was 
a  favorite  place  for  young  people  of  both  sexes  to 
visit.  .  .  . 

"  The  same  qualities  for  which  Dr.  Ripley  had 
been  distinguished  during  his  life  continued  with  him 
till  life's  close.  Especially  his  indomitable  energy 
and  perseverance,  and  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  for  the 
benefit  of  his  fellow-creatures,  never  forsook  him. 
He  was  eminently  honored  in  his  life,  and  his  death 
was  deeply  and  widely  lamented." 

REV.  ASA  PACKARD,  MARLBOROUGH. 

Mr.  Packard  was  born  in  North  Bridgewater, 
May  4,  1758,  and  was  a  descendant  of  the  fourth 
generation  of  Samuel  Packard,  who  came  from 
Windham,  near  Hingham,  England,  in  1638,  and 
settled  first  in  Hingham,  and  afterwards  in  Bridge- 
water.  His  immediate  ancestors  were  Jacob  and 
Dorothy  (Perkins)  Packard.  At  the  early  age  of 
seventeen,  he  enlisted  as  a  volunteer  fifer  in  the 
Revolutionary  Army ;  and  in  an  engagement  with 
the  enemy  near  Harlem  Heights,  in  1776,  received  a 
severe  wound  from  a  bullet  which  lodged  against  his 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  115 

spine,  where  it  remained,  causing  partial  lameness 
for  life.  An  ineffectual  attempt  was  made  to  extract 
it,  which  caused  him  much  suffering,  and  he  was. 
confined  to  the  hospital  for  eight  months;  after  which 
he  returned  home,  and  becoming  interested  in  re- 
ligion, and  wishing  to  become  a  minister,  he  entered 
on  a  course  of  studies  preparatory  to  entering  col- 
lege. He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  University  in 
1783;  and,  after  declining  a  call  to  settle  in  Wellfleet, 
he  was  ordained  at  Marlborough,  March  23,  1785, 
at  which  time  the  snow  was  of  sufficient  depth  to 
cover  the  fences,  and  so  solid  as  to  bear  the  weight 
of  heavy  teams. 

"The  people  went  to  the  ordination  in  their 
sleighs,  upon  the  crust,  passing  across  their  lots 
over  the  tops  of  walls  and  rail-fences  without  diffi- 
culty." 

Mr.  Packard  remained  in  this  place,  in  sunshine 
and  in  storm,  —  first  as  minister  of  the  whole 
town,  and  afterwards  of  the  Second  or  West  Parish, 
—  more  than  thirty  years,  from  1785  to  1819. 
In  1808,  the  town  was  divided  into  two  parishes, 
owing  to  a  controversy  relating  to  the  location 
of  a  new  meeting-house ;  the  minority  forming  a 
new  parish  and  retaining  their  old  minister,  who  had 
previously  obtained  a  dismission  from  his  former 
charge.  Mr.  Packard  was  installed  over  the  West 
Parish  on  the  23d  of  March,  1808,  just  twenty-three 
years  to  a  day  from  his  ordination.  His  connection 


116  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

with  this  society  continued  till  May  12,  1819,  when 
he  took  a  dismission,  and  soon  afterwards  removed  to 
*,  Lancaster,  where  he  died  very  suddenly  while  sitting 
in  his  chair,  March  20,  1843,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five. 

Mr.  Packard  was  in  easy  circumstances,  having 
come  into  the  possession  of  considerable  property,  I 
believe,  through  his  wife.  He  was  married  July  2, 
1790,  to  Nancy  Quincy,  daughter  of  Josiah  Quincy, 
and  aunt  of  the  late  President  Quincy  of  Harvard 
College. 

They  had  six  children,  two  of  whom  died  before 
their  father :  one  a  child  of  five  years ;  the  other, 
Eliza  Quincy  Packard,  in  1816,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four.  Two  have  since  died:  Asa,  in  1851,  aged 
fifty-four;  and  Ann  M.,  born  March  17,  1798,  mar- 
ried James  Gordon  Carter,  of  Lancaster  (H.C. 
1820),  died  Dec.  15,  1853.  Mr.  Carter  was  distin- 
guished for  his  interest  in  the  cause  of  popular  edu- 
cation, to  which  he  rendered  valuable  service  by  his 
writings  and  his  speeches  in  the  Legislature.  He 
died  in  1849,  while  a  resident  in  one  of  the  Western 
States.  They  left  one  daughter.  Another  son  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Packard  was  Frederic  Adolphus,  born 
Sept.  26,  1794  (H.C.  1814).  He  studied  law,  and 
commenced  practice  in  Springfield ;  married  Eliza- 
beth D.,  daughter  of  Judge  Hooker;  represented 
Springfield  in  the  Legislature  in  1828  and  1829 ; 
removed  to  Philadelphia,  and  in  1847  was  elected 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  117 

President  of  Girard  College.  He  received  the  de- 
gree of  LL.D.  from  Princeton  College. 

Ruth  F.,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Packard,  was  born  March  22,  1800;  married  Rev. 
George  Trask,  of  Fitchburg,  formerly  pastor  of 
churches  in  Framingham  and  "Warren.  For  several 
years  past,  he  has  carried  on,  almost  single-handed 
and  at  his  own  cost,  an  incessant  warfare  against  the 
use  of  tobacco  in  all  its  forms;  for  which  he  is  enti- 
tled to  the  thanks  of  the  public,  and  to  something 
more  than  empty  thanks. 

Mr.  Packard  was  not  a  close  reasoner  or  a  pro- 
found theologian.  During  his  ministry  he  was  classed 
with  the  Liberal  or  Unitarian  denomination ;  but, 
after  his  dismission,  his  associations  were  principally 
with  the  Orthodox,  in  whose  pulpits  he  occasionally 
preached.  He  was  commonly  listened  to  with  inter- 
est as  a  public  speaker;  and  he  excelled  in  conversa- 
tional talent,  having  a  fund  of  anecdotes  which  he 
often  introduced  with  happy  effect,  both  in  the  parlor 
and  the  pulpit.  His  sermons  were  practical,  his 
style  simple,  his  delivery  animated,  and  his  man- 
ner often  impressive.  I  knew  him  well,  and  passed 
many  pleasant  hours  in  his  family,  both  before  and 
after  his  dismission  ;  and,  while  not  insensible  to  his 
eccentricities  and  faults,  I  retain  a  lively  sense  of 
his  many  redeeming  qualities,  and  end  with  a  rcfjui- 
escat  in  pace. 


118  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 


REV.  JEROBOAM  PARKER,   SOUTHBOROUGH. 

Mr.  Parker  was  a  native  of  Southborough,  and 
was  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  Abigail  Parker.  He 
was  born  April  3,  1769,  and  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  with  the  class  of  1797.  Two  years  after  his 
graduation,  he  received  a  call  from  his  native  town 
to  be  their  minister,  and  was  ordained  Oct.  9,  1799, 
at  the  mature  age  of  thirty  years. 

He  was  married  to  Ann  How,  of  Hopkinton,  by 
whom  he  had  eight  children ;  viz.,  — 

Mary  Ann,  married  Dana  Fay,  of  Boston ;  died 
June  10,  1828. 

Emma,  died  Dec.  17,  1855. 

Martha,  married  Dana  Fay,  who  died  Oct.  31, 
1860. 

Selima,  married  a  Mr.  Rawson,  of  Chicago. 

Lucius,  removed  to  the  western  part  of  New  York. 

Nancy,  died  Dec.  22,  1829. 

Caroline,  married  Charles  Meriam,  of  Worcester. 

Charles  Lowell,  married  Abby  Penniman. 

July  17,  1827,  Mr.  Parker  preached  a  centennial 
discourse  commemorative  of  the  incorporation  of  the 
town,  which  was  published.  His  connection  with 
the  parish,  as  its  minister,  was  dissolved  Feb.  14, 
1832 ;  after  which  he  continued  to  live  in  the  town, 
cultivating  a  small  farm,  and  acting  the  part  of  a 


MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION.  119 

good  and  useful  citizen.     He  died  March  22,  1850, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-one. 

REV.  SYLVESTER    F.  BUCKLIN,  MARLBOROUGH. 

Mr.  Bucklin  was  born  in  Rehoboth,  now  Seekonk, 
July  2,  1784,  and  was  the  son  of  John  and  Jemima 
(Peck)  Bucklin,  of  that  place.  He  was  a  graduate 
of  Brown  University,  Providence,  R.I.,  of  the  class  of 
1805 ;  studied  divinity  with  Rev.  Dr.  Perez  Forbes, 
of  Raynham,  and  was  ordained  over  the  First  (East) 
Parish  in  Marlborough,  Nov.  2,  1808 ;  in  which 
office  he  continued,  respected  and  beloved,  till 
at  his  request,  he  was  honorably  dismissed,  passing 
the  remainder  of  his  life  in  retirement,  and  retain- 
ing his  physical  strength  and  mental  vigor  to  a  good 
old  age.  He  died,  much  lamented,  May  25,  1860, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-six. 

He  married,  Sept.  9,  1809,  Nancy  Balcom,  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  and  Tryphena  (Everett)  Balcom,  of 
Providence,  R.I.  Their  children  were  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

1.  Elizabeth,    born    1810  ;      married    James    T. 
Rhoades,  of  Providence. 

2.  Mary  Balch,  died  in  infancy. 

3.  Henry,  born  1814;  died  in  1825. 

4  and  5.  Sylvester  and  Ann,  twins,  born  1815. 
Ann  married  Lucius  M.  Scammel,  and  died  in  1851. 
Sylvester  lives  in  Marlborough. 


120  MARLBOROUGH    ASSOCIATION. 

6.  Mary  Ide,  born   1820;   married  E.  F.  Wood, 
of  Savannah,  Ga.     She  died  in  1860. 

7.  Sarah  Hunt,  born  1825  ;  married  Albert  Rich- 
ards, of  Sharon.     She  died  in  1857. 


WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION  (OLD). 


WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION  (OLD). 


r  I  "HE  Marlborough  Association  was  divided,  as  we 
have  seen,  in  1762,  into  two  branches,  the 
Eastern  and  Western  :  the  former  retaining  the  name 
of  the  old  association;  and  the  latter,  as  is  supposed, 
taking  the  name  of  the  Worcester  Association. 

Of  the  occasion  of  the  dissolution  of  this  body, 
and  of  the  formation  of  a  new  one  retaining  the 
same  name,  we  have  a  graphic  account  found  among 
the  private  papers  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft. 
The  record  is  as  follows :  — 

"  On  the  1st  of  February,  1786, 1  received  ordina- 
tion. The  Unitarian  controversy,  at  that  period, 
had  not  been  agitated.  But  the  society  (the  Second 
Congregational  Society  in  Worcester)  was  viewed  as 
Arminian  ;  and,  as  an  Arminian,  I  was  to  be  inducted 
into  office. 

"  So  general  then  was  the  Calvinism  of  the  coun- 
ty, that  it  was  not  deemed  prudent  to  invite  but  two 
churches  to  assist  in  this  religious  ceremony ;  viz., 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

the  church  in  Lancaster  and  that  in  Lunenburg, 
then  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Timothy 
Harrington  and  Rev.  Zabdiel  Adams. 

"  For  several  years  I  stood  almost  alone.  Two  or 
three  times  within  this  period,  I  exchanged  with  Mr. 
Harrington,  and  about  once  a  year  with  Mr.  Adams ; 
and,  in  a  few  instances,  —  not  more  than  three  or 
four,  —  I  had  the  benefit  of  exchanges  with  a  clergy- 
man in  Boston,  and  one  in  Salem. 

"  While  struggling  with  difficulties  in  my  own 
society,  I  was  pointedly  opposed  by  most  of  the  cler- 
gymen around  me ;  and  those  who  were  friendly  to 
me  as  a  citizen  kept  aloof  from  ministerial  inter- 
course. At  this  period,  Dr.  Fiske,  of  Brookfield, 
did  once  exchange  with  me.  With  pleasure  I  state 
this  exception. 

"  At  the  expiration  of  seven  years,*  I  received  a 
note  from  Mr.  Avery,  of  Holden,  containing  an  in- 
vitation to  meet  the  association  of  ministers  at  his 
house  on  a  given  day,  and  dine  with  them.  In  reply, 
I  stated  that  no  member  of  this  association  had  ex- 
tended to  me  any  act  of  ministerial  communion,  and 
therefore  they  could  not  wish  for  my  presence  at 
their  clerical  deliberations ;  that,  as  a  private  friend, 
I  should  with  great  satisfaction  meet  him  [Mr. 
Avery]  at  his  own  table  or  at  mine ;  but  that  he 


*  As  we  have  before  us  the  original  record  of  this  transaction,  in 
the  handwriting  of  Dr.  Bancroft,  dated  Jan.  3,  1791,  it  must  have  been 
five  instead  of  seven  years. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  125 

must  excuse  me  for  not  accepting  his  invitation  to 
meet  with  the  associated  body.* 

"  Subsequently  I  received  a  letter  in  which  it  was 
stated,  that  it  was  not  the  custom  of  the  Worcester 
Association  to  invite  ministers,  ordained  within  their 
circle,  to  join  them  ;  but,  if  I  offered  myself  as  a  can- 
didate for  membership,  they  would  readily  admit  me. 
I  soon  waited  on  the  moderator,  and  stated  to  him 
that  I  had  ever  felt  a  disposition  to  interchange  min- 
isterial offices  with  clergymen  of  the  neighborhood ; 
and  that  I  desired  him,  in  my  name,  to  propose  me 
in  the  usual  form  to  his  association.  He  did.  Oppo- 
sition was  made  by  some  of  the  members,  and  the 
subject  was  put  over  to  the  next  meeting.  At  this 
meeting  of  the  association,  Mr.  —  now  Dr.  —  Aus- 
tin proposed  himself  for  the  body,  and  was  imme- 
diately admitted.  When  the  question  respecting  my 

*  The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  letter  referred  to:  — 
"  Mr.  Bancroft  acknowledges  the  reception  of  Mr.  Avery's  invitation 
of  the  last  week,  and  must  rely  on  his  candor  to  accept  his  apology  for 
declining  it.  No  individual  of  the  association  of  this  vicinity  has,  in 
any  instance,  extended  the  least  act  of  fellowship  to  Mr.  B.  since 
his  ordination,  or  in  any  way  proffered  an  interchange  of  ministerial 
communion.  He  cannot  therefore  persuade  himself  that  his  presence 
as  a  clergyman  is  desired.  As  a  private  gentleman,  Mr.  B.  shall  with 
pleasure  embrace  any  opportunity  to  spend  a  day  with  Mr.  A  very,  as  a 
man  whom  he  respects,  as  a  friend  whom  he  esteems.  Mr.  B.  considers 
ministers  as  members  of  the  same  body,  and  called  upon  by  the  gospel 
of  Christ  to  co-operate  with  each  other  to  promote  the  common  interests: 
Yet  he  is  too  well  satisfied,  that  the  church,  of  which  he  is  pastor,  is 
built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles,  ever  to  lean  on  human  sup- 
port; and  his  present  object  i»,  not  to  complain,  but  to  assign  the  reason 
why  he  does  not  comply  with  Mr.  Avery's  request. 
"  Monday,  Jan.  3,  1791." 


126  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

admission  was  agitated,  he  warmly  opposed  it ;  and 
altercation  arose.  In  consequence,  the  association 
commissioned  one  of  their  members  to  call  on  me  to 
communicate  the  facts  in  the  case,  and  to  suggest  the 
expediency  of  my  withdrawing  my  application.  I 
informed  him  that  I  should  not  complain  at  a  nega- 
tive vote,  but  must  insist  on  a  decision.  The  vote 
was  tried,  and  a  majority  appeared  against  my  admit- 
tance. On  this  result,  Mr.  Sumner,  of  Shrewsbury^ 
and  Mr.  Avery,  of  Holden,  arose,  and  declared  that 
they  would  not  belong  to  a  body  which  passed  so 
illiberal  a  vote  as  that  of  my  rejection ;  that  the 
association  might  meet  where  and  when  they  would, 
but  that  they  would  no  longer  be  considered  mem- 
bers of  it.  In  consequence  of  the  withdrawal  of 
the  above  -  named  gentlemen,  the  association  was 
broken  up. 

"  Two  or  three  years  subsequently,  uneasiness  was 
expressed  at  this  state  of  things ;  and  a  conference 
was  held  by  the  clergymen  of  the  vicinity.  Much 
discussion  ensued.  It  was  proposed  that  a  new  asso- 
ciation should  be  formed,  of  which  Dr.  Austin  and 
myself  should  be  members.  The  pious  doctor  de- 
clared that  he  could  not,  in  conscience,  and  would 
not  join  me  in  a  society  formed  voluntarily  by  indi- 
•vidual  ministers ;  for,  by  doing  it,  he  should  vir- 
tually acknowledge  me  as  a  regular  minister,  and 
allow  that  I  truly  preached  the  gospel  of  Christ. 

"A  new  association  was  formed,  of  which  I  was 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  127 

a  constituent  member,  and  which  Dr.  Austin  never 
joined." 

Such  was  the  origin  of  the  old  "  Worcester  Asso- 
ciation," as  it  is  called,  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
body  which  now  bears  that  name ;  and  which ,  after 
lasting  a  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  at 
length  regained  new  life  and  vigor  by  forming  a 
union  with  the  "Lancaster  Association,"  then  rejoi- 
cing in  the  freshness  of  its  youth. 

The  records  of  this  association  (the  old  Worces- 
ter) cannot  be  found,  and  it  is  feared  they  are  lost. 
We  are  unable,  therefore,  to  give  its  history,  and 
must  content  ourselves  with  a  very  few  reminiscences 
relating  to  its  last  years  of  decrepitude  and  decay. 

In  1815,  when  my  acquaintance  with  it  began, 
it  consisted  of  the  following  ministers  ;  viz.,  Dr. 
Sumner,  of  Shrewsbury ;  Dr.  Bancroft,  of  Worces- 
ter ;  Rev.  Messrs.  Cotton,  of  Boylston  ;  Miles,  of 
Grafton ;  A  very,  of  Holden ;  and  last,  though  not 
least,  the  sickly  but  talented  Nash,  of  West  Boyl- 
ston. 

Most  of  these  men  were,  at  this  time,  "  old  and 
full  of  years."  Their  numbers  had  been  reduced,  by 
death  and  removal,  till  only  these  six  remained; 
and  two  of  these,  Avery  and  Nash,  by  reason  of 
their  many  infirmities,  seldom  attended  the  meetings 
of  the  association.  Those  meetings,  as  I  remember, 
were  of  a  social  character ;  and,  although  never  dull 


128  WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

or  unprofitable,  —  especially  when  graced  by  the 
presence  of  Dr.  Bancroft,  —  they  held  out  but  few 
attractions  to  young  men,  fresh  from  "  the  School 
of  the  Prophets." 

Of  these  good  men  I  would  speak  in  terms  of 
affectionate  respect.  With  one  or  two  exceptions, 
they  were  not  distinguished  for  genius  or  scholar- 
ship or  eloquence ;  but  they  were  good  ministers  of 
Jesus  Christ,  serving  God  and  their  generation 
according  to  his  will,  with  only  such  imperfections 
as  are  common  to  men. 

With  all  but  one  of  the  number  I  was  personally, 
and  with  most  of  them  intimately,  acquainted.  Dur- 
ing the  first  years  of  my  ministry,  and  even  before 
my  settlement,  it  was  my  privilege  to  enjoy  their 
friendship,  and  to  receive  the  benefit  of  their  fatherly 
counsels. 

Besides  my  personal  recollections,  I  have  been 
furnished,  from  reliable  sources,  with  facts  and 
statements  relating  to  their  ministry  and  lives,  of 
which  I  am  at  liberty  to  avail  myself  in  writing 
these  sketches. 

My  earliest  connection  with  Worcester  County 
was  as  a  resident  for  several  weeks  in  the  family  of 
Dr.  Bancroft,  in  the  summer  of  1815,  while  sup- 
plying his  pulpit  in  his  absence.  To  this  brief 
sojourn,  and  to  the  opportunity  it  gave  me  of  form- 
ing an  acquaintance  with  clergymen  and  others  in 
this  vicinity,  I  feel  that  I  am  indebted  in  no  small 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  129 

measure  for  my  settlement  the  following  year  in  the 
pleasant  place  I  have  so  long  occupied,  where  I  have 
passed  so  many  prosperous  and  happy  years. 

Worcester  was  at  that  time  an  inconsiderable  vil- 
lage of  some  two  or  three  thousand  inhabitants. 
Most  of  the  buildings  were  on  the  main  street ;  and, 
with  few  exceptions,  the  houses  were  of  wood,  of 
moderate  dimensions,  and  without  much  ornament. 
Some  of  them  are  still  standing,  occupying  the  same 
ground  as  before,  but  converted  to  different  uses. 
Some  have  been  demolished,  or  removed  to  less  con- 
spicuous places,  to  make  way  for  the  large  and  hand- 
some blocks  which  now  adorn  the  street;  and  a  new 
and  beautiful  city  has  taken  the  place  of  the  small 
country  village,  containing  a  population  of  thirty 
thousand. 

REV.  AARON  BANCROFT,  D.D.,  WORCESTER. 

Of  Dr.  Bancroft,  his  scholarship  and  practical 
good  sense,  his  urbanity  and  open-hearted  hospi- 
tality, his  benignant  aspect,  his  easy  and  dignified 
manners,  his  perfect  integrity,  moral  courage,  and 
catholic  spirit,  I  can  speak  with  great  confidence, 
from  personal  knowledge  and  a  full  heart;  for  it 
was  my  privilege  to  know  him  intimately,  in  private 
as  well  as  in  public  life,  as  he  appeared  at  home  as 
well  as  abroad. 

I  shall  not,  however,  rely  solely  on  my  own  in- 
9 


130.  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

dividual  judgment  of  his  character  and  services ; 
but  shall  appeal  to  the  general  testimony  borne  by 
his  contemporaries  to  his  worth.  Nor  shall  I  hesitate 
to  freely  use  the  materials  furnished  to  my  hands  by 
the  brother  who  for  twelve  years  was  his  colleague, 
and  whose  discourse  preached  at  his  funeral  is  a 
just  and  noble  tribute  to  his  memory. 

Dr.  Bancroft  was  born  in  Reading,  Essex  County, 
Mass.,  Nov.  10,  1755,  the  year  made  memorable  by 
Braddock's  defeat,  just  twenty  years  before  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  War  of  American  Independence.  His 
father,  Samuel  Bancroft,  was  a  respectable  farmer, 
and  is  represented  as  a  man  of  "  distinguished  abili- 
ties, of  great  benevolence,  and  compassion,"  who 
trained  up  his  children  in  the  ways  of  virtue  and 
religion.  He  himself  describes  his  mother  as  "  a 
pious  and  affectionate  woman,  who  did  every  thing 
for  him  by  her  care,  precept,  and  example,  that  a 
tender  mother,  in  her  situation,  could  do  for  a  child." 
She  lived  to  a  great  age,  wanting  only  three  years 
of  a  complete  century  at  the  time  of  her  death  in 
1813. 

Being  possessed  of  good  abilities,  and  having  a 
thirst  for  learning,  he  had  his  father's  consent  to 
pursue  a  course  of  preparatory  studies  in  the  gram- 
mar school  of  his  native  village,  and  under  the 
direction  of  the  minister  of  the  parish,  with  a  view 
to  obtain  a  collegiate  education.  He  entered  Harvard 
College  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  was  graduated 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  131 

in  1778,  at  the  ripe  age  of  twenty-three.  After  a 
short  course  of  preparatory  studies,  he  was  licensed 
to  preach  in  the  following  year ;  and,  in  the  spring 
of  1780,  he  went  on  a  mission  of  three  years  into 
the  neighboring  province  of  Nova  Scotia.  On  his 
return  in  1783,  he  was  invited  to  supply  the  pulpit 
in  Worcester,  in  the  place  of  Rev.  Mr.  Macarty  who 
was  then  sick.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Macarty, 
which  took  place  the  following  year,  he  was  invited 
to  Breach  as  a  candidate  for  settlement;  and,  though 
he  failed  to  secure  a1  majority  of  votes,  so  favor- 
able was  the  impression  he  made  on  many  of  the 
influential  citizens  of  the  town,  that,  in  order  to 
secure  his  services,  a  second  parish  was  formed,  over 
which  he  was  ordained  pastor  Feb.  1,  1786. 

The  theological  views  of  the  new  society  and  of 
their  minister  were  what  were  denominated  Armin- 
ian,  —  a  term  as  obnoxious  at  that  time  as  that  of 
Unitarian  or  Universalist  is  now ;  and,  though  seve- 
ral ministers  in  Worcester  County  were  suspected  of 
holding  essentially  the  same  views,  yet  few  had  the 
moral  courage  to  make  them  known,  or  even  to  hold 
ministerial  intercourse  with  one  by  whom  such  views 
were  openly  professed  and  publicly  taught. 

Accordingly,  for  many  years  after  his  settlement, 
Dr.  Bancroft  stood  almost  alone  in  this  region  as 
the  champion  of  a  more  liberal  faith  than  commonly 
prevailed.  His  brethren  in  the  ministry,  with  few 
exceptions,  avoided  him,  or  at  least  declined  re- 


132  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

ceiving  him  into  their  pulpits ;  and,  as  we  have 
seen,  he  was  refused  admission  into  the  ministerial 
association,  of  which  Worcester  was  the  centre. 

At  the  time  of  his  settlement,  the  parish  was  small, 
and  their  resources  quite  limited ;  and,  as  his  family 
was  rapidly  increasing,  the  salary  he  received  was 
quite  inadequate  to  their  support.  He  was  under 
the  necessity  of  practising  the  most  rigid  economy ; 
a  necessity  to  which  he  and  his  worthy  consort  sub- 
mitted without  a  murmur,  trusting  in  the  care  of 
Him  "  who  feedeth  the  ravens  when  they  cry."  But, 
though  in  straitened  circumstances,  he  had  a  large 
heart ;  and  his  house  was  the  seat  of  an  elegant 
hospitality.  It  was  my  good  fortune  to  be  an  in- 
mate in  his  family  for  several  weeks  in  the  summer 
of  1815,  where  I  had  opportunity  to  witness,  in 
the  order  and  peace  and  mutual  love  that  prevailed, 
evidence  of  the  wisdom  and  skill  with  which  it  had 
been  presided  over  by  its  venerated  head,  then  absent 
on  a  distant  journey.* 

He  had  much  to  contend  with,  as  we  have  seen,  in 
the  earlier  part  of  his  ministry,  both  from  his  strait- 
ened circumstances  and  the  unpopularity  of  the  re- 

*  It  was  during  this  period  —  about  the  first  of  August  —  that,  late 
in  the  week,  we  were  startled  by  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Waterloo, 
which  had  taken  place  some  five  or  six  weeks  before.  Our  afternoons 
were  mostly  spent  in  the  parlor,  where  the  members  of  the  family,  with 
occasionally  some  of  the  neighbors,  used  to  assemble  to  listen  to  the 
reading  of  Guy  Mannering,  the  second,  in  order  of  time,  of  that  series 
of  wonderful  tales,  whose  authorship  was  then,  and  for  a  long  time  after, 
unknown,  but  which  everybody  read  and  admired. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLJ)).  133 

ligious  opinions  he  was  supposed  to  hold.  But  he 
stood  his  ground  nobly,  submitted  to  hardship  and 
privation  without  a  murmur,  lived  do\vn  opposition, 
and  earned  and  secured  a  high  reputation  as  a  the- 
ologian, a  minister,  and  a  man.  He  soon  became 
widely  known  by  his  publications.  His  "  Life  of 
Washington"  appeared  in  1807,  and  was  afterwards 
(1826)  stereotyped  and  published  in  Boston,  and  has 
had  an  extensive  circulation.  In  1820,  he  preached 
the  sermon  before  the  Convention  of  Congregational 
Ministers,  which  was  published.  He  published  in 
1822  an  octavo  volume  of  Sermons  on  the  Doc- 
trines of  the  Gospel ;  a  work  of  more  than  common 
interest  and  value,  for  which  he  received  congratu- 
lations and  thanks  in  characteristic  letters  from  the 
Elder  Adams,  and  Jefferson,  and  others.  And  his 
sermon  on  the  termination  of  fifty  years  of  his  minis- 
try, Jan.  31,  1836,  was  the  last  of  thirty-six  distinct 
publications  that  proceeded  from  his  industrious 
pen. 

His  house  was  the  resort  of  distinguished  strangers 
who  visited  Worcester;  and,  while  the  courts  were 
in  session,  he  seldom  failed  to  receive  calls  from 
the  judges  and  leading  members  of  the  bar.  On 
such  occasions,  subjects  of  deep  interest  and  moment 
were  sometimes  discussed,  to  the  elucidation  of  which 
Dr.  Bancroft  contributed  his  full  share.  However 
distinguished  his  guests,  he  was  always  listened  to 
with  deference  and  respectful  attention  ;  for  his  re- 


134  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

marks  were  replete  with  wisdom  and  learning,  with 
moderation  and  candor  and  practical  good  sense. 
Often  the  conversation  assumed  a  more  cheerful  tone  ; 
and  those  who  took  part  in  it  indulged  in  pleasant- 
ries and  sallies  of  wit,  without,  however,  descending 
to  unbecoming  levity,  or  approaching  the  borders 
of  impropriety.  On  Sunday  evenings,  he  was  com- 
monly visited  by  a  few  of  his  more  intimate  friends 
and  parishioners,  who  took  this  method  of  showing 
their  respect  for  their  venerable  pastor,  with  whom 
some  of  them  had  been  intimately  associated  through 
nearly  the  whole  period  of  his  ministry.  Among 
these  visitors,  I  recall  the  familiar  faces  of  the  two 
Aliens,  brothers,  Joseph  and  Samuel  Allen ;  the 
Paynes ;  the  Lincolns ;  of  Macarty,  son  of  the  minis- 
ter of  that  name ;  of  Brazer,  father  of  Dr.  Brazer,  of 
Salem ;  and  of  many  others  whom  I  have  met  there  : 
all  of  whom,  with  a  single  exception  (Governor 
Lincoln,  who  still  survives  in  a  green  old  age),  have 
long  since  been  removed  from  earth.  The  evenings 
thus  spent  were  truly  Nodes  Amb/'osiante,  spiritual 
feasts,  with  which  our  souls  were  refreshed ;  and,  I 
trust,  our  hearts  made  better. 

To  show  the  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  out 
of  his  own  parish,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  make  the 
following  statement,  taken  from  Lincoln's  "  History 
of  Worcester,"  and  which  is  found  in  the  Appendix 
to  Dr.  Hill's  funeral  discourse  :  — 

"  Dr.  Bancroft  was  member  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  135 

tees  of  Leicester  Academy  for  thirty  years,  and  long 
its  President ;  President  of  the  Worcester  County 
Bible  Society ;  of  the  American  Unitarian  Associa- 
tion, from  its  organization  in  1825  to  1836  ;  and  of  the 
Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  Piety, 
and  Charity ;  Vice-President  of  the  Worcester  and 
Middlesex  Missionary  Society,  afterward  merged  in 
the  Evangelical  Missionary  Society ;  and  of  the 
American  Antiquarian  Society,  from  1816  to  1832; 
Fellow  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sci- 
ences ;  and  member  of  other  societies.  His  long- 
continued  and  persevering  exertions  in  the  cause 
of  education  contributed  greatly  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  improved  school  system  of  the  town. 
In  1810,  he  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divin- 
ity from  Harvard  University." 

Of  the  Worcester  Association,  both  the  old  and 
the  new  that  went  by  that  name,  Dr.  Bancroft  was  > 
one  of  the  most  active  and  influential  members.  Of 
the  latter  body,  after  its  union  with  the  Lancaster 
Association,  he  was  the  light  and  the  ornament. 
Seldom  did  he  allow  himself  to  be  absent  from  its 
regular  meetings ;  and  an  occasional  absence  of  our 
respected  Moderator  was  felt  as  a  sore  disappoint- 
ment and  a  serious  loss.  It  was  formerly  the  custom 
for  the  moderator,  after  the  discussion  of  a  subject 
by  the  junior  members,  to  give  a  summary  of  the 
reasons,  pro  and  con,  together  with  his  own  views 
in  relation  to  it.  This  service  Dr.  Bancroft  per- 


136  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

formed  with  eminent  ability,  setting  the  subject  in 
so  clear  a  light,  that  its  true  shape  and  character 
could  be  readily  seen.  There  were  few  subjects 
relating  to  his  profession,  whether  doctrinal  or  prac- 
tical, on  which  he  had  not  read  and  thought,  and 
formed  deliberate  opinions ;  and  few,  therefore,  on 
which  he  was  not  prepared  to  speak  intelligently, 
and  in  a  scholarly  manner,  on  the  spur  of  the  occa- 
sion. His  presence  at  our  meetings  was  accordingly 
always  regarded  as  a  benediction. 

"  Dr.  Bancroft  continued  in  the  active  duties  of 
his  profession,"  I  quote  from  Dr.  Hill's  Funeral 
Discourse,  "  occasionally  preaching,  —  always  ready 
to  lighten  the  burthen  and  strengthen  the  hand  of 
his  associate,  to  whom  he  ever  extended  a  more 
than  fatherly  kindness,  and  who  can  never  cease 
to  be  grateful  for  his  long  and  intimate  connection 
with  him,  —  until  the  last  Sabbath  of  the  last  Jan- 
uary." This  was  a  little  more  than  six  months 
before  his  death. 

In  the  following  spring,  April  27,  he  met  with  one 
of  the  sorest  trials  incident  to  the  lot  of  mortals,  — 
the  death  of  his  wife.  The  separation,  after  a  union 
of  more  than  half  a  century,  —  a  union  that  had  been 
peculiarly  happy,  —  could  not  fail  of  being  attended 
with  exquisite  pain.  She  had  borne  him  thirteen 
children :  ten  of  whom  lived  to  the  age  of  manhood 
and  womanhood ;  and  six  survived  their  parents. 
Among  these  last  are  Mrs.  Eliza  B.  Davis,  relict 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  137 

of  the  late  Ex-Governor  John  Davis,  of  Worcester ; 
and  Hon.  George  Bancroft,  the  historian.  Mrs.  Ban- 
croft died  April  27,  1839,  aged  seventy-three  years 
and  eleven  months.  She  was  the  daughter  of  the  late 
Judge  John  Chandler,  of  Worcester,  and  was  the 
last  survivor  of  a  family  of  seventeen  children.  She 
was  married  to  Dr.  Bancroft,  in  1786,  the  year  of 
his  settlement  as  minister  of  the  Second  Church  in 
Worcester. 

Setting  out  together  on  their  journey,  they  walked 
hand  in  hand,  bearing  each  other's  burdens,  sharing 
each  other's  joys,  sustaining  with  mutual  sympathy 
the  trials  of  their  lot,  —  trials  of  no  ordinary  severity ; 
till,  laden  with  rich  experience  of  God's  goodness, 
with  thankful  and  trustful  hearts,  they  reached  their 
journey's  end.  "  Lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives, 
in  their  death  they  were  not  divided ; "  and  sons  and 
daughters,  worthy  of  such  a  parentage,  "  rise  up 
and  call  them  blessed." 

From  the  shock  produced  by  the  sudden  death 
of  his  wife,  Dr.  Bancroft  never  recovered.  He 
lingered,  for  a  few  months,  in  a  feeble  and  declining 
state,  without  the  expectation  or  hope  of  recovery ; 
waiting,  in  "the  patience  of  hope,"  for  the  time  of 
his  release.  "  During  this  whole  period,"  we  are 
told,  "  amidst  many  seasons  of  agony,  it  is  not  known 
that  a  complaint  escaped  him."  I  continue  the  nar- 
rative in  the  words  of  the  discourse  delivered  by  his 
colleague  at  his  funeral :  "  A  smile  continued  to  play 


138  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

upon  his  countenance,  and  he  cheerfully  acquiesced 
in  his  suffering.  PER  ARDUA  AD  ASTRA  ;  By  a  thorny 
path  we  mount  to  the  stars,  —  Bearing  the  cross,  we 
gain  the  crown :  this  sentiment  he  quoted  on  one 
of  my  last  interviews  with  him,  and  on  this  he 
acted  throughout.  And  this  long  period  of  patient 
resignation  will  ever  be  bright  and  clear  in  the 
recollection  of  his  surviving  friends.  But  there  were 
occasions  of  more  solemn  interest.  There  are  in- 
cidents and  conversations  living  in  their  memory, 
treasured  among  the  best  legacies  which  he  has  left 
them.'  Not  that  he  ever  acted  or  spoke  for  effect: 
he  was  the  last  man  who  would  have  made  a  death- 
bed display  of  his  feelings.  And  I  hope  his  pure 
spirit,  if  it  is  made  acquainted  with  the  transac- 
tions of  this  hour,  will  not  be  offended  by  this  ref- 
erence to  scenes  which  I  cannot  but  feel  are  among 
the  most  solemn  and  impressive  I  have  known. 
I  have  asked  one  who  witnessed,  to  describe  one 
of  them ;  and  I  am  permitted  to  quote  the  words  of 
the  writer.  It  occurred  in  the  earlier  part  of  his 
sickness,  and  at  the  hour  of  midnight.  *  To  give  you 
an  idea  of  the  solemn  scene,'  writes  the  eldest  daugh- 
ter, '  and  the  reverence  and  awe  which  pervaded  the 
mind,  as  we  listened  to  the  deep  tones  of  his  voice, 
would  be  impossible.  You  must  remember  the 
solemn  hour  of  the  night ;  think  of  the  chamber  as 
lighted  by  a  solitary,  dim  lamp  ;  see  the  hoary  head 
laid  on  the  pillow,  almost  in  the  repose  of  death ; 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  139 

and,  with  the  feelings  of  children,  watch  the  fleeting 
breath  of  an  apparently  dying  parent.  After  lying 
in  a  sleep  of  some  hours,  he  suddenly  roused,  and, 
calling  us  to  his  bedside,  spoke  of  the  conviction  he 
felt,  that  the  time  was  rapidly  approaching  when 
he  must  leave  us. 

" '  I  do  not  pretend,'  said  he,  '  to  look  forward  to 
that  solemn  moment  without  emotion.  We  cannot 
bid  adieu  to  the  scenes  and  objects  we  have  loved  on 
earth  without  pain ;  and  the  thought  that  we  are  to 
appear  before  the  judgment-seat  of  God,  and  account 
for  the  deeds  done  in  the  body,  renders  the  contem- 
plation of  that  event  awful  in  the  extreme.  But  I 
trust  in  the  mercy  of  God,  who  has  promised  never 
to  forsake  those  who  put  their  trust  in  him.  I 
have  studied  the  Bible  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of 
his  character,  and  what  he  reveals,  through  Jesus 
our  Saviour,  of  the  destiny  of  man.  I  think  I 
may  without  vanity  say  I  have  endeavored  to  make 
the  precepts  of  the  gospel  the  rule  of  my  life  and 
conversation ;  and  my  aim  has  been  to  perform  the 
duties  assigned  me  by  my  Heavenly  Father,  to 
the  best  of  my  ability.  I  have  not  the  presump- 
tion to  claim  the  merit  of  sinless  obedience ;  but 
this  I  do  say,  My  intentions  have  ever  been  to  con- 
form, as  far  as  in  my  power,  to  the  bright  example 
set  before  us  by  our  blessed  Saviour.  .  .  .  Death  is 
the  portal  through  which  all  must  pass  to  reach 
their  home  in  the  heavens ;  and  the  gospel  alone 


140  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

sheds  light  on  its  passage.     '  Happy  are  they  who 
shall  sleep  in  Jesus.' " 

"  At  a  period  still  later,  also,  deep  into  night,  when, 
as  was  not  unfrequent,  he  was  denied  the  refreshing 
balm  of  sleep,  —  at  one  of  those  moments,  when  the 
soul,  awed  by  the  pervading  stillness,  feels  itself  alone 
with  God,  —  he  asked  the  daughter  who  attended 
him,  to  read  to  him  a  favorite  hymn.  It  contains  the 
reflections  appropriate  to  an  old  man.  He  listened 
as  if  the  spirit  of  the  song  entered  his  soul;  and, 
when  she  came  to  the  words  expressive  of  his  own 
peculiar  condition,  he  exclaimed,  *  Beautiful,  elevated, 
sublime!'  and,  with  an  almost  preternatural  fervor, 
repeated  them,  line  by  line,  as  they  were  read,  — 

"  '  If  piety  has  marked  my  steps, 

And  love  my  actions  formed ; 
And  purity  possessed  my  heart, 
And  truth  my  lips  adorned ; 

If  I've  grown  old  in  serving  Him, 

My  Father  and  my  God,  — 
I  need  not  fear  the  closing  scene, 

Nor  dread  the  appointed  road.' 

"  In  this  frame  he  lived,  and  in  this  frame  he  died." 

He  passed  to  his  final  rest  on  the  evening  of 
Monday,  Aug.  19,  1839,  having  nearly  reached  the 
great  age  of  fourscore  and  four  years. 

On  the  following  Thursday,  Aug.  22,  his  funeral 
was  attended  at  the  church  where  he  had  been 
accustomed  to  officiate.  The  occasion  brought  to- 
gether a  great  multitude  of  sympathizing  friends, 


•WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (OLT>).  141 

who  were  desirous  of  showing  their  respect  and 
esteem  for  the  aged  servant  of  God,  who  had  just 
gone  to  his  reward.  An  able  and  impressive  dis- 
course was  delivered  by  the  junior  pastor;  an  ap- 
propriate funeral  prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Thayer,  of  Lancaster,  the  oldest  surviving  member 
of  the  Worcester  Association ;  and  all  the  services, 
together  with  the  drapery  of  mourning  which  clothed 
the  pulpit  and  galleries,  served  to  deepen  the  impres- 
sion made  by  his  death.  Those  who  were  present 
cannot  fail  to  recognize  the  truthfulness  and  beauty 
of  the  following  description,  taken  from  a  note  to 
the  funeral  discourse  :  — 

"  The  afternoon  was  clear  and  tranquil.  As  the 
procession  retired  from  the  grave,  the  sun,  which 
had  shone  calmly  and  benignantly  upon  the  scenes, 
was  just  sinking  in  full-orbed  light  to  his  rest;  and 
the  whole  hemisphere  was  lighted  up,  and  each  cloud 
tinged,  and  each  object  illuminated  with  the  rays  of 
parting  glory,  —  a  beautiful  emblem  of  the  good 
man's  departure,  who,  leaving  behind  the  influence 
of  a  good  life  and  a  bright  example,  still  enlightens 
the  path  of  the  wayfarer  and  pilgrim,  and  guides 
him  to  his  home." 

Tidings  of  the  death  of  their  venerable  associate 
and  moderator  reached  the  Worcester  Association 
of  Ministers,  —  then  in  session  at  Leicester,  at  the 
house  of  Rev.  Samuel  May,  —  on  the  day  following 
his  death.  The  event,  though  not  unexpected,  pro- 
duced a  deep  impression  on  the  brethren  present; 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  reply  to  the  in- 
vitation given  to  the  Association  to  attend  the  funeral 
of  our  deceased  brother  ;  also  to  prepare  and  forward, 
in  behalf  of  the  Association,  a  letter  of  condolence 
to  his  bereaved  family. 

The  letter  was  in  the  following  terms :  — 
"  The  Worcester  Association  of  Ministers,  having 
been  informed  of  the  death  of  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft, 
the  senior  member  and  presiding  officer  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, tender  to  the  family  of  the  deceased  their 
respectful  and  affectionate  sympathies  on  the  sorrow- 
ful occasion. 

"  It  has  been  our  privilege  to  be  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  this  good  man,  some  of  us  for  many 
years ;  to  listen  to  his  wise  and  paternal  counsels, 
to  witness  his  Christian  conversation,  to  partake  of 
his  hospitality,  and  to  enjoy  his  friendship.  We 
feel,  therefore,  that  we  can  and  do  in  some  measure 
appreciate  your  loss,  and  share  in  your  sorrows.  We 
mourn  with  you,  that  the  light  which  has  shone  so 
long  with  undiminished  lustre  at  the  domestic  altar 
and  fireside,  in  the  golden  candlestick,  and  through- 
out the  wide  field  of  his  usefulness  and  his  fame,  is 
extinguished.  We  mourn  that  we  shall  no  more 
be  welcomed  with  that  benignant  smile  and  friendly 
grasp  with  which  we  have  been  greeted,  whenever 
and  wherever  we  have  met;  that  we  shall  no  more 
be  instructed  and  strengthened  and  encouraged  by 
his  sound  judgment,  his  fatherly  counsels,  and  his 
blameless  life. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  143 

"But  we  feel  that  you  and  we  have  more  abun- 
dant cause  for  rejoicing  than  mourning.  We  rejoice 
with  you,  and  give  thanks  to  God,  at  the  remem- 
brance of  his  faithful  labors,  —  his  long  and  peaceful 
and  prosperous  ministry,  his  literary  eminence,  his 
domestic  virtues,  his  honorable  and  well-spent  life. 

"  We  shall  not  forget  the  happy  home,  over  which, 
together  with  his  excellent  consort,  he  presided  with 
so  much  ease  and  dignity  and  grace ;  nor  the  serene 
and  cheerful  spirit  with  which  he  met  the  visitations 
of  adversity,  and  drank  the  bitter  .cup.  We  honored 
him  in  life:  his  memory  will  ever  be  precious;  and 
we  rejoice  and  will  rejoice  in  the  blessed  hope 
and  assured  belief,  that  it  is  but  the  time-worn  taber- 
nacle that  is  dissolved,  while  the  released  spirit  of 
our  friend  has  ascended  to  purer  regions,  to  be  for 
ever  united  with  the  wise  and  good  of  all  ages  and 
lands ;  where,  if  we  remain  faithful  unto  death,  we 
shall  again  meet,  to  renew  an  intercourse  and  friend- 
ship that  shall  be  as  enduring  as  the  imperishable  soul. 

"  Commending  you  to  the  grace  of  God,  and  the 
rich  consolations  of  the  gospel,  we  subscribe  our- 
selves yours  in  the  faith  and  fellowship  of  Jesus 

Christ. 

"NATHANIEL  THATER.  WASHINGTON  GILBERT. 

ISAAC  ALLEN.  CA/NEAU  PALFREY. 

JOSEPH  ALLEN.  SAMUEL  MAY. 

CALVIN  LINCOLN.  RUFUS  P.  STEHIUNS."* 

*  The  other  members  of  the  Association  were  not  present  at  the 
meeting. 


144  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 


A  List  of  the  Publications  of  Dr.  Bancroft,  from  a  note  to  Dr. 
Hill's  Sermon,  taken  from  William  Lincoln's  "  History  of 
Worcester." 

1.  Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.   Samuel  Shuttlesworth, 

June  23,  at  Windsor,  Vt. 

2.  Sermon  before  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Massachusetts,  June 

11,  1793,  at  Worcester. 

3.  Sermon  on  the  Execution  of  Samuel  Frost,  July  16,  1793, 

at  Worcester. 

4.  Sermon  at  the  Installation  of  Rev.  Clark  Brown,  June  20, 

1798,  at  Brimfield. 

5.  Eulogy  on  General  Washington,  Feb.  22,  1800,  at  Worces- 

ter. 

6.  Election  Sermon,  May  27,  1801. 

7.  Address   on   the   Importance   of  Education,   at   Leicester 

Academy,  July  4,  1806. 

8.  Life  of  General  Washington.     Worcester,  1807.     8vo,  pp. 

552. 

9.  Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  Nathan  Parker,  Sept.  14, 

1808,  at  Portsmouth,  N.H. 

10.  Sermon  before  Society  for  Promotion  of  Christian  Knowl- 

edge, Piety,  and  Charity,  May  29,  1810,  Boston. 

11.  New  Year's  Sermon,  Jan.  6,  1811. 

12.  Nature  and  Worth  of  Christian  Liberty,  Sermon,  June  28, 

1816,  Worcester;  with  an  Appendix,  containing  the  His- 
tory of  Consociation.     2  editions. 

13.  Duties  of  the    Fourth   Commandment,    Sermon,   January, 

1817,  at  Worcester. 

14.  Vindication  of  the  Result  of  a  Mutual  Council  at  Prince- 

ton, March,  1817. 

15.  Discourse  on  Conversion,  April,  1818. 

16.  The  Leaf  an  Emblem  of  Human  Life,  Sermon  on  the  Death 

of  Mrs.  Mary  Thomas,  Nov.  22,  1818. 

17.  The  Doctrine  of  Immortality,  Christmas  Sermon,  1818. 

18.  Sermon  at  the  Installation  of  Rev.  Luther  Wilson,  June  23, 

1819,  at  Petersham. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  145 

19.  Sermon  before  the   Convention  of    Congregational  Minis- 

ters, June  1,  1820. 

20.  Sermons  on  the  Doctrines  of  the  Gospel.     Worcester,  1822. 

8vo. 

21.  Mediation  and  Ministry  of  Jesus  Christ,  Sermon,  Aug.  15, 

1819,  at  Keene,  N.H. 

22.  Moral  Purpose  of  Ancient  Sacrifices,  &c.,  same  date. 

23.  Sermon  at  the  Installation  of  Rev.  Andrew  Bigelow,  July  9, 

1823,  at  Medford. 

24.  Duties  of  Parents,  Sermon,  Aug.  10,  1823,  at  Worcester. 

25.  Sermon  before  the  Auxiliary  Society  for  Meliorating  the 

Condition  of  Jews,  April  23,  1824,  Worcester. 

26.  Sermon  at  the  Funeral  of  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Sumner,  Dec.  30, 

1824. 

27.  Sermon  on  the  Death  of  President  John  Adams,  July  19, 

1826. 

28.  Sermon  on  the  Sabbath  following  the  Ordination  of  Rev. 

AlonzoHill,  April  8,  1827. 

29.  Sermon  at  the  Dedication  of  the  New  Unitarian  Meeting- 

House,  Aug.  20,  1829. 

30.  Sermons  in  ''Liberal  Preacher:"  Office  of  Reason  in  Con- 

cerns of  Religion,  July,  1827. 

31.  Female  Duties  and  Trials,  August,  1828. 

32.  Importance  of  Salvation,  August,  1830. 

33.  End  of  the  Commandments,  Sermon  in  "  Christian  Moni- 

tor." 

34.  A  Glance  at  the  Past  and  Present  State  of  Ecclesiastical 

Affairs  in  Massachusetts,  in  "  Union  Advocate,"  January, 
1831. 

35.  Moral  Power  of  Christianity, -in  "  Western  Messenger." 

36.  Sermon  on  the  Termination  of  Fifty  Years  of  his  Ministry, 

January  31,  1836. 

A  monument  has  been  erected  to  the  memory  of 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bancroft,  with  the  following  inscrip- 
tion :  — 

10 


146  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 


WEST    FACE. 

Here  rest 

the  mortal  remains 
of  the  Rev.  AARON  BANCROFT,  D.D. 
Born  in  Reading  Nov.  10,  A.D.  1755; 

Ordained  Pastor  of  the 
Second  Parish  in  Worcester, 

Feb.  1,  A.D.  1786. 

His  spirit  ascended  to  God  who  gave  it, 
Aug.  19,  A.D.  1839. 

SOUTH    FACE. 

In  honor  and  gratitude 

to  a  devoted  pastor, 

who  gathered  a  little  flock 

of  Christian  worshippers 

in  days  of  opposition,  straits,  and  trials ; 

vindicating  for  them 

the  glorious  freedom  to  worship  the  one  God 
according  to  the  teachings  and  example 

of  the  blessed  Saviour; 
giving  them  union,  strength,  and  increase, 

by  his  labors  and  his  life, 

in  a  ministry  of  fifty -three  years,  — 

the  Second  Parish  in  Worcester 

erect  this  monument. 

EAST    FACE. 

A  spirit  free  to  concede  as  to  claim 

its  dearest  treasure,  —  Christian  liberty ; 

fearlessness  in  thought  and  duty ; 

ready  and  various  powers 

of  learning  and  observation ; 

a  clear  and  forcible  expression ; 

an  ardent  temper, 

subdued  to  the  calmness  of  Christian  philosophy  : 

uniform  prudence  in  counsel  and  action ; 

a  warm  heart  and  courteous  manners ; 

and  devoted  fidelity  in  all  relations 

of  public  and  private  life,  — 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  147 

gave  to  our  revered  pastor 

a  moral  power 

which  extended  to  a  large  circle 
beyond  those  wnose  happiness  it  was 
to  know  him  best  and  love  him  most. 

NORTH    FACE. 

Here  rest 

the  mortal  remains 
of  LUCRETIA  BANCROFT, 

daughter  of  Judge 

and  Mary  Church  Chandler. 

Born  June  9th,  A.D.  1765. 

Married  to  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft,  Oct.  24,  A.D.  1786. 

Died  April  27,  A.D.  1839. 
With  zealous  and  untiring  sympathy, 

she  shared  and  relieved 

the  pious  labors  of  her  husband, 

and  was  not  long  separated  from  him 

by  an  earlier  summons  to  her  reward. 

Her  ardent  friendship,  her  active  benevolence, 

her  many  virtues, 
and  her  efforts  and  sacrifices 

for  the  welfare 
of  the  Second  Parish  in  Worcester, 

should  ever  be  held 
in  grateful  remembrance. 


REV.  JOSEPH   SUMNER,   D.D.,   SHREWSBURY. 

Joseph  Sumncr,  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Griffin)  Sumner,  was  born  in  Pomfret,  Conn.,  Jan. 
30,  1740.  He  was  graduated  at  Yale  College  in 
1759,  and  was  ordained  over  the  Congregational 
Church  in  Shrewsbury,  Mass.,  June  23,  1762,  as  suc- 
cessor of  Rev.  Job  Gushing,  the  first  pastor  of  that 
church.  He  was  married  in  1703  to  Lucy  "Williams, 


148  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

of  Pomfret,  who  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  William 
Williams,  formerly  of  Roxbury.  The  honorary  de- 
gree of  D.D.  was  conferred  on  him,  in  1814,  by 
Harvard  University ;  and,  about  the  same  time, 
he  received  the  same  mark  of  respect  from  Colum- 
bia College,  S.C. 

Dr.  Sumner  continued  in  the  ministry,  as  pastor  of 
the  same  church,  till  his  death,  Dec.  9,  1824;  a 
period  of  nearly  sixty-three  years.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  fourscore  and  five  years,  wanting  a  few  days. 
Mrs.  Sumner  died  Feb.  13,  1810.  A  discourse  was 
preached  at  her  funeral  by  Rev.  Peter  Whitney,  of 
Northborough,  which  was  published.  The  discourse 
preached  at  the  funeral  of  Rev.  Dr.  Sumner,  by  his 
friend  and  neighbor,  Rev.  Aaron  Bancroft,  D.D.,  of 
Worcester,  was  also  published. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1820,  Rev.  Samuel  B.  Inger- 
soll  was  ordained  as  an  associate  pastor  with  Dr. 
Sumner.  He  preached  but  one  Sunday  after  his 
ordination,  being  very  ill  at  that  time.  He  was  soon 
removed  to  his  friends  in  Beverly;  where  he  lingered 
and  languished  till  the  14th  of  the  following  Novem- 
ber, when  he  was  released  from  his  sufferings  by 
death. 

Dr.  Sumner  received  a  second  colleague,  Rev. 
Edwards  Whipple,  formerly  settled  in  the  ministry 
in  Charlton,  Worcester  County,  who  was  installed 
at  Shrewsbury,  Sept.  20,  1821.  He  also  died,  after  a 
brief  ministry  of  less  than  one  year,  Sept.  17,  1822. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  149 

A  third  colleague,  Rev.  George  Allen,  of  Worces- 
ter, son  of  Hon.  Joseph  Allen,  for  many  years  clerk 
of  the  court,  was  ordained  Nov.  19,  1823  ;  who  sur- 
vived Dr.  Sumner,  and  became  sole  pastor  of  the 
church  after  his  death.  In  the  discourse  preached 
at  the  funeral  of  Dr.  Sumner,  it  is  stated,  that,  dur- 
ing the  period  of  sixty-two  years,  he  was  never  absent 
from  the  stated  communion  of  his  church. 

His  published  discourses  are  a  Sermon  preached 
at  the  Ordination  of  his  Son,  Rev.  Samuel  Sumner, 
of  Southborough,  June  1,  1791  ;  a  Thanksgiving 
Sermon,  preached  28th  of  November,  1799  ;  a  Ser- 
mon at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  Wilkes  Allen,  at 
Chelmsford,  Nov.  16,  1803;  a  Half-Century  Sermon, 
preached  in  Shrewsbury,  23d  of  June,  1812.  This 
sermon  passed  through  two  editions,  and  is  valuable 
for  the  information  it  contains  respecting  the  affairs 
of  the  church  and  town. 

Dr.  Sumner  was  settled  on  a  salary  of  £66.  13s.  4d., 
a  little  over  $222,  which  was  increased  in  1809  to 
$286.67 ;  and,  with  this  salary,  he  brought  up  a  family 
of  eight  children,  one  of  whom  received  a  collegiate 
education,  leaving  at  his  death  a  handsome  property, 
mostly  in  real  estate.  His  eight  children,  three 
sons  and  five  daughters,  survived  their  father.  The 
eldest  son,  Samuel,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege, of  the  class  of  1786,  was,  for  a  little  more  than 
six  years,  the  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church 
in  Southborough.  After  his  dismission,  he  removed 


150  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

to  Bakersfield,  Vt.,  where  he  was  again  settled  in  the 
ministry,  and  died  in  1836,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
one  years.  All  the  children  of  Dr.  Sumner,  with  a 
single  exception,  were  married ;  and  most  of  them 
have  left  descendants. 

Dr.  Sumner  was  respected  and  honored,  not  only 
among  his  own  people,  but  in  all  the  neighboring 
churches.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  integrity, 
of  sound  judgment,  and  practical  good  sense.  Tall 
and  erect  in  stature,  dignified  and  urbane  in  man- 
ners, retaining  to  the  last  the  costume  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  —  flowing  wig,  three-cornered  hat, 
knee  and  shoe  buckles,  and  all,  —  he  appeared,  as 
he  was,  a  true  gentleman  of  the  old  school.  Al- 
though he  took  no  part  in  the  theological  controver- 
sies which  were  carried  on  between  the  Unitarian 
and  Orthodox  (so  called)  portions  of  the  Congrega- 
tional order,  his  sympathies  and  associations  were,  as 
is  well  known,  with  the  former;  and  he  lamented 
and  remonstrated  against  the  great  schism,  which 
broke  up  or  enfeebled  so  many  of  the  churches  of 
New  England  during  the  last  years  of  his  ministry. 

The  Worcester  Association,  after  its  union  with 
the  Lancaster  Association,  met  only  once  at  the  house 
of  Dr.  Sumner,  which  was  on  New  Year's  Day,  1822; 
on  which  occasion,  a  discourse  was  preached  in  his 
pulpit  by  the  writer,  which  was  printed. 

He  retained  the  use  of  his  faculties  to  the  last. 
The  religion  which  he  had  proclaimed  unto  others 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD.)  151 

was  his  support  in  sickness,  and  his  hope  in  death ; 
and,  when  the  time  of  his  departure  came,  he  was 
ready  to  meet  it.  In  the  very  appropriate  words 
taken  by  his  friend,  Dr.  Bancroft,  for  the  text  of  his 
funeral  discourse,  "  he  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  died 
in  a  good  old  age,  an  old  man,  and  full  of  years,  and 
was  gathered  to  his  people." 

Children  of  Rev.  Dr.  Sumner. 

1.  Sarah,  married  to  William  Jennison,  of  Wor- 
cester. 

2.  Samuel  (D.C.  1786) ;  settled,  first  as  minister 
of  Southborough,  afterwards  of  Sandisfield,  Vt. 

3.  Joseph,    married  Rebecca   Jaffrey,   of    Salem ; 
died  1825. 

4.  Joanna,     married    Edward    Sumner,    of   Rox- 
bury. 

5.  Lucy,  married  Joseph  Wheeler,  of  Worcester. 
8.  Elizabeth,  unmarried. 

7.  Dorothy,  married  George  Merriam,  of  Wor- 
cester. 

8.  Erastus,  married   Lavinia  Boyd,   of   Marlbor- 
ough. 

"  During  the  period  of  sixty-two  years,"  as  is 
stated  in  Dr.  Bancroft's  funeral  sermon,  "  he  was 
never  absent  from  the  stated  communion  of  his 
church ;  and,  till  bodily  infirmity  rendered  him  un- 
able to  officiate,  through  his  ministry  the  public  exer- 
cises of  the  sabbath  in  this  place  were  suspended 


152  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

only  seven  Sundays,  on  account  of  his  indisposition, 
or  in  consequence  of  journeying." 

REV.    JOSEPH    AVERT,   HOLDEN. 

Rev.  Joseph  Avery  was  born  in  Dedham,  Mass., 
Oct.  14,  1751,  and  was  the  son  of  Deacon  William 
Avery  and  Bethiah  (Metcalf)  Avery,  who  were  mar- 
ried Dec.  10,  1714  :  the  former  of  whom  died,  Aug. 
5,  1796,  aged  eighty ;  the  latter,  Dec.  25,  1793,  aged 
seventy-eight.  Deacon  William  Avery  was  the  son 
of  William,  whose  father,  William,  was  born  in  Eng- 
land, and  who  accompanied  his  father  William  to 
New  England  about  1650. 

Rev.  Joseph  Avery  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard, 
of  the  class  of  1771,  and  was  ordained  in  Holden, 
Dec.  21,  1774 ;  where  he  continued  in  the  ministry, 
respected  and  beloved,  till  his  death,  which  took 
place,  March  5,  1824,  in  the  seventy-fourth  year  of 
his  age.  Rev.  Horatio  Bardwell  was  ordained  as 
his  colleague,  Oct.  22,  1823.  Rev.  Mr.  Avery  was 
married,  Dec.  22,  1777,  to  Mary  Allen,  daughter 
of  James  Allen,  of  Boston,  and  sister  of  Joseph  and 
Samuel  Allen,  in  their  day  respected  and  honored 
citizens  of  Worcester :  the  former,  for  many  years 
clerk  of  the  court ;  and  the  latter,  treasurer  of  the 
county.  Their  mother,  Mary,  was  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  Adams,  sen.,  and  sister  of  Governor  Samuel 
Adams,  the  well-known  patriot  of  the  Revolution. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  153 

She  was  born  in  1717,  and  was  married  to  James 
Allen  about  1741.  Mrs.  Avery  was  born,  Feb.  8, 
1755,  and  died,  April  1,  1842,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven. 

The  children  of  Rev.  Joseph  Avery  were  two 
sons,  Joseph  and  Samuel,  both  of  whom  died  before 
their  father,  and  four  daughters ;  viz.,  Mary,  who 
married  the  late  Aaron  White,  of  Boylston ;  Nancy, 
wife  of  the  late  William  White,  of  Westborough ; 
and  Catharine,  wife  of  Samuel  B.  Bent,  of  Middle- 
bury,  Vt.  Bethiah  was  the  wife  of  Jonathan  P. 
Grosvenor,  of  Paxton. 

Mr.  Avery  was  a  man  of  retiring  habits  and  of 
unostentatious  piety;  an  "Israelite,  indeed,  in  whom 
was  no  guile."  My  acquaintance  with  him  was  very 
slight ;  but,  in  the  few  interviews  I  had  with  him,  I 
was  impressed  with  his  humility  and  candor  and 
modest  worth,  and  felt  that  I  was  in  the  presence 
of  a  good  man. 

He  is  represented,  by  those  who  knew  him  well, 
as  a  scholar  and  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  scien- 
tific attainments,  of  which,  however,  he  made  no 
display.  Of  his  catholicity,  and  hatred  of  bigotry 
and  intolerance,  a  striking  instance  has  been  given 
in  our  memoir  of  Dr.  Bancroft.  In  him,  orthodoxy 
and  liberality  were  happily  blended ;  a  combination 
not  uncommon  in  the  early  part  of  this  century, 
and  which  I  devoutly  hope  may  characterize  its 
close. 


154  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 


REV.  WARD    COTTON,   BOYLSTON. 

Ward  Cotton  was  the  youngest  child  of  John  and 
Hannah  (Sturtevant)  Cotton,  and  was  born  at  Ply- 
mouth, Mass.,  March  24,  1770.  His  father  was 
settled  in  the  ministry  at  Halifax,  Mass.  ;  and  after- 
wards removed  to  Plymouth,  avhere  he  was  chosen 
Register  of  Deeds  for  Plymouth  County,  in  which 
office  he  remained  till  his  death.  He  had,  by  his 
wife,  Hannah  Sturtevant,  of  Halifax,  eleven  children, 
four  sons  and  seven  daughters,  all  of  whom  lived  to 
adult  age ;  and  all  became  heads  of  families,  except 
one  daughter,  who  remained  unmarried.  The  father 
of  John,  and  grandfather  of  Rev.  Ward  Cotton,  was 
Rev.  John  Cotton,  who  was  settled  in  the  ministry 
in  Plymouth,  and  who  preached  occasionally  as  a 
missionary  among  the  Indians.  In  a  note  appended 
to  a  memoir  of  his  father,  —  the  celebrated  John  Cot- 
ton, minister  of  the  First  Church  in  Boston,  —  it  is 
stated,  that  "  he  was  eminent  for  his  knowledge 
of  the  Indian  language,  and  superintended  the  publi- 
cation of  'Eliot's  Bible.5'  He  afterwards  removed 
to  Charleston,  S.C.,  where  he  was  again  settled  as  a 
minister  of  the  gospel.  Rev.  John  Cotton,  of  Bos- 
ton, New  England,  came  over  in  the  ship  "  Griffin," 
September,  1663,  from  Boston,  in  Lincolnshire,  Eng- 
land, where  he  had  been  minister  from  1612. 

Rev.  Ward  Cotton,  of  Boylston,  was  graduated  at 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  155 

Cambridge  in  1793 ;  after  which  he  studied  for  the 
ministry  under  Rev.  Zedekiah  Sanger,  of  South 
Bridgewater,  and  was  ordained  as  minister  of  Boyl- 
ston,  —  successor  of  Rev.  Ebenezer  Morse,  —  June  7, 
1797  ;  in  which  office  he  continued  till  June  22,  1825, 
when,  in  consequence  of  divisions  in  the  church  and 
society,  he  was  dismissed  at  his  own  request.* 

From  the  time  of  his  dismission  till  his  death, 
which  took  place  suddenly,  Nov.  15,  1843,  he  con- 
tinued to  live  in  Boylston,  preaching  occasionally, 
as  he  had  opportunity,  and  discharging  with  fidelity 
his  duties  as  a  Christian  citizen.  For  several  years,  he 
served  as  the  representative  of  the  town  in  the  Legis- 
lature of  the  State ;  was  respected  and  esteemed  for 
his  private  and  social  virtues ;  and  his  friends  always 
found  a  welcome  at  his  hospitable  mansion. 

Mr.  Cotton  married,  Feb.  19,  1800,  Rebekah 
Jackson,  youngest  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sarah 
(Taylor)  Jackson,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Plymouth,  though  not  of  the  company 
that  came  over  in  the  "  Mayflower."  Mrs.  Cotton 
was  a  woman  of  much  dignity  and  grace  of  manners  ; 
one  who  appreciated  and  enjoyed  cultivated  and  re- 
fined society,  and  was  the  object  of  affectionate  respect, 
not  only  in  her  family,  but  in  a  large  circle  of  friends 
with  whom  she  was  in  the  habit  of  interchanging 
visits. 

•  The  immediate  successor  of  Mr.  Morse  was  Rev.  Eleuzcr  Fuirbank. 


156  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

Mrs.  Cotton  died  at  Boylston,  Oct.  11,  1854,  aged 
eighty-two  years  and  eight  months. 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cotton  were  two 
sons  and  four  daughters ;  viz.,  — 

John  Thomas,  born  Feb.  25,  1801 ;  lives  in  South- 
borough. 

Ward  Mather,  born  March  11,  1804;  married 
Elizabeth  M.  Lamson,  of  Boylston ;  lives  in  Leo- 
minster. 

Lydia  Jackson,  born  Jan.  1,  1806  ;  married  Jo- 
siah  Pope,  of  Sterling ;  died  April  25,  1829,  leaving 
one  daughter,  married  to  Dr.  Dickerman,  of  Foxbor- 
ough. 

Sally  Mary,  born  Nov.  8,  1808  ;  married  to  Rev. 
Charles  Robinson,  of  Medfield;  died  June  6,  1849, 
leaving  one  son. 

Hannah  Sophia  Phillips,  born  Oct.  16,  1810; 
married  to  Rev.  Daniel  S.  Whitney,  who  now  resides 
in  Southborough. 

A  daughter,  Mary  Atwood,  died  in  infancy. 

None  of  Rev.  Mr.  Cotton's  writings  were  pub- 
lished, except  a  sermon  delivered  at  the  first  annual 
meeting  of  the  Female  Benevolent  Society,  of  Boyl- 
ston. 

REV.   WILLIAM    NASH,  WEST  BOYLSTON. 

William  Nash  was  born  in  Williamsburg,  Hamp- 
shire County,  Aug.  5,  1768 ;  pursued  his  studies, 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  157 

preparatory  to  entering  college,  under  Rev.  Dr. 
Strong,  of  Northampton ;  graduated  at  Yale  College 
in  the  class  of  1791.  He  was  ordained  as  minister 
of  West  Boylston,  Oct.  11,  1797,  where  he  remained, 
the  able  and  faithful  pastor  of  his  flock,  for  seventeen 
years.  He  was  dismissed  at  his  own  request,  on 
account  of  long-continued  ill  health,  Nov.  14,  1814 ; 
but  continued  to  reside  on  his  farm,  in  that  place,  till 
his  death,  which  took  place  March  25,  1829,  in  the 
sixty-first  year  of  his  age.  During  the  interval 
between  his  dismission  and  his  death,  he  preached 
occasionally  in  neighboring  churches,  especially  in 
Worcester ;  supplying  the  place  of  Dr.  Bancroft 
in  his  absence,  where  he  was  sure  to  meet  a  cordial 
welcome.  Knowing  this  fact,  the  author  of  these 
sketches  wrote  to  Ex-Governor  Levi  Lincoln  to  give 
his  recollections  of  the  minister  of  West  Boylston ; 
a  request  with  which  he  kindly  replied  in  the  follow- 
ing just  and  discriminating  terms  :  — 

..."  With  the  Rev.  William  Nash  I  had  no 
such  acquaintance  as  would  enable  me  to  sketch  his 
biography.  He  was  a  stranger  to  me  previous  to  his 
settlement  in  the  neighboring  town  of  West  Boyl- 
ston ;  and  afterwards  I  had  little  personal  knowledge 
of  him  but  as  a  preacher,  and  through  that  inter- 
course which  his  exchanges  with  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Bancroft, —  on  whose  ministry  I  attended, —  and  some 
occasional  social  interviews,  gave  me.  He  has  now 
been  dead  many  years.  I  recollect  him  as  a  tall. 


158  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

spare,  pale-looking  man,  with  strongly  marked  fea- 
tures, and  a  countenance  expressive  of  thoughtfulness 
and  care.  In  his  deportment,  he  was  modest  and 
retiring,  shrinking  with  peculiar  sensitiveness  from 
public  observation.  His  habits  were  those  of  a  stu- 
dent, with  little  relaxation,  even  in  ill-health,  as  I 
have  understood,  except  in  such  attention  as  he 
might  pay,  without  interference  with  professional 
duties,  to  the  cares  and  labors  of  his  little  farm. 
His  classic  acquisitions  were  highly  respectable ;  and, 
in  his  social  converse,  he  gave  constant  evidence  of 
his  fresh  reading  and  his  ready  acquaintance  with 
the  best  literature  of  the  day.  With  a  mind  clear 
and  logical,  rather  than  subtle  or  metaphysical,  his 
conversation  was  interesting  and  instructive,  and 
his  public  discourses  eminently  sententious  and  di- 
dactic. In  the  pulpit,  he  was  plain,  simple,  cogent ; 
and  such  was  the  remarkable  terseness  of  his  style, 
that  there  scarce  seemed  an  expletive  in  his  sermon. 
Although  his  manner  appeared  at  first  somewhat  stiff 
and  awkward,  yet  such  Avas  the  distinctness  of  enun- 
ciation, and  so  pointed  and  striking  his  emphasis, 
that  his  delivery  often  approached  to  the  character 
of  eloquence,  and  never  failed  to  fix  the  attention 
and  earnest  regard  of  his  audience.  Few  preachers 
in  the  Association,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  were 
heard  with  deeper  interest. 

"  In  private  and  social  life,  Mr.  Nash  was  spoken 
of  as  an  amiable  man,  of  genial  feelings,  hospitable 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  159 

and  kind.  His  friends  cherished  his  society,  and 
delighted  in  visiting  his  family  roof.  He  was  always 
the  faithful  counsellor  and  the  reliable  friend.  With 
clear  perceptions  and  cool  judgment,  he  advised 
wisely ;  and,  with  a  manly  spirit  and  a  firm  purpose, 
he  acted  ever  consistently  and  well.  The  good  of 
his  pastoral  charge  was  foremost  in  his  heart;  and, 
through  many  difficulties  and  discouragements,  he 
was  true  to  it  to  the  uttermost.  In  the  town  of  his 
residence,  he  was  faithful  to  all  the  duties  of  a  citi- 
zen ;  and,  by  the  influence  of  high  moral  culture  and 
an  active  and  useful  life,  he  contributed  largely  to 
the  promotion  of  its  best  interests.  In  the  failure 
of  health,  after  a  long  struggle  with  its  decline,  he 
resigned  the  ministry;  and,  with  a  few  years  more 
of  sickness  and  suffering,  he  passed  on. 
"WORCESTER,  March  17,  1856." 

Having  been  invited  to  supply  the  pulpit  at  West 
Boylston  during  the  winter  of  1815—1816,  I  often 
visited  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Nash,  and  had  the  best 
opportunities  of  forming  an  acquaintance  with  its 
members ;  and  I  have  always  felt  that  I  was  much 
indebted  to  this  scholarly  man  for  suggestions  and 
counsels  relating  to  the  composition  of  sermons 
and  the  duties  of  the  ministry.  I  only  regret  that 
I  did  not  heed  them  more,  and  derive  from  them 
greater  benefit.  He  was  of  a  bilious  temperament, 
sickly  and  feeble,  and  did  not  always  maintain  a 


160  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

buoyant,  cheerful  spirit ;  but  his  mind  was  always 
aptive,  and  his  conversation  instructive  and  interest- 
ing. He  was  blessed  in  his  domestic  relations;  his 
wife  being  a  lady  of  cultivated  mind,  accomplished 
manners,  and  uncommon  merit.  Their  three  chil- 
dren still  live  to  honor  their  memory,  and  "  to  serve 
the  present  age." 

The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Nash  was  Elizabeth 
Doubleday.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Captain  John 
Doubleday,  a  respectable  ship-master  of  Boston,  who 
married  a  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Gardner  (H.C. 
1715),  the  minister  of  Stow,  one  of  the  original 
members  of  the  Maiiborough  Association.  Mrs. 
Nash  died  Sept.  9,  1849. 

They  had  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  still 
living :  — 

Charles  Nash,  born  Oct.  9,  1806,  Worcester. 

Mary  Gardner,  born  Oct.  17,  1808 ;  married  Dr. 
Thompson,  of  Lancaster. 

Elizabeth  S.,  born  Feb.  1,  1812. 

Their  oldest  child,  William  Henry,  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

It  is  not  known  that  any  of  Mr.  Nash's  writings 
are  in  print. 

REV.  JOHN  MILES,  GRAFTON. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Westmin- 
ster, Mass.,  Nov.  3,  1765,  and  was  a  graduate  of 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  161 

Brown  University,  Providence,  R.I.,  of  the  class 
of  1794.  After  leaving  college,  he  studied  for  the 
ministry,  under  the  care  of  Rev.  Dr.  Sanger,  of 
Bridgewater. 

Mr.  Miles  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  in  Grafton,  Oct.  12,  1796,  at  which 
time  there  was  but  one  religious  society  in  the  town. 
Accordingly,  as  in  the  case  of  most  country  ministers 
at  that  period,  he  was  the  minister  of  the  town,  and 
settled  for  life.  On  account  of  the  great  numbers 
who  assembled  to  witness  his  induction  into  office, 
the  ordination  services  were  held  on  the  Common 
in  the  open  air. 

The  marriage  of  a  minister,  in  those  early  days, 
was  an  occasion  of  almost  equal  interest  as  that  of 
his  ordination.  Mr.  Miles  was  married,  May  1, 
1798,  to  Mary  Denny,  daughter  of  Colonel  Samuel 
Denny,  of  Leicester,  —  an  event  which,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  another,  "  did  something  more  than  connect 
him  with  families  well  known  and  highly  respected 
in  Worcester  County,  valuable  as  that  was  :  it  gave 
him  one  who,  in  other  than  the  partial  judgment  of 
filial  affection,  was  fitted  in  no  common  degree  for 
the  place  she  was  called  to  fill." 

For  the  following  sketches,  relating  to  his  parents 
and  to  the  customs  of  the  olden  times,  the  writer  is  in- 
debted to  the  same  gentleman,  Rev.  Dr.  H.  A.  Miles, 
of  Boston,  son  of  the  subject  of  this  notice  :  — 

"  Among  the  pleasant  recollections  of  her  children, 
11 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

are  her — Mrs.  Miles's  —  stories  of  the  troop  of  horse- 
men that  received  the  new-married  pair  at  the  town 
lines,  and  escorted  them  to  their  home ;  where  gifts 
of  skeins  of  yarn,  yards  of  homespun,  household 
furniture,  and  delicacies  of  food,  attested  the  affec- 
tion of  their  people. 

"For  a  period  of  nearly  thirty  years,  embracing, 
beyond  doubt,  the  most  embarrassing  and  trying  por- 
tion of  the  history  of  our  Massachusetts  Congrega- 
tional churches,  my  father  was  pastor  of  that  society, 
which,  under  his  ministrations,  was  in  a  united  and 
prosperous  condition.  Attention  to  public  schools, 
the  sole  care  of  which  for  the  most  part  fell  into  his 
hands ;  and  visiting  his  widely  scattered  flock,  to 
which  duty  he  always  assigned  a  high  place  in  the 
sphere  of  a  minister's  labors,  —  absorbed  a  large  part 
of  his  time;  though  he  gave  a  due  share  also  to  a 
little  farm  of  sixteen  acres,  which  he  tilled  in  a  skil- 
ful and  exemplary  manner.  For  study,  but  little 
opportunity  was  found.  The  fashion  and  demand  of 
that  day  required  less  than  is  called  for  now.  My 
father's  manuscripts,  several  of  which  have  come 
into  my  hands,  show  that  he  always  chose  practical 
themes ;  which  he  treated  in  a  direct  and  affectionate 
manner,  though  always  according  to  the  old  fashion 
of  three  heads,  with  minute  subdivisions,  and  the 
never  -  failing  '  improvement.'  I  happen  to  have 
single  manuscripts  of  many  clergymen,  which  I  have 
collected  as  objects  of  some  interest;  among  which 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  163 

are  written  sermons  by  Dr.  Chauncey,  Dr.  John 
Clark,  Dr.  Osgood,  Dr.  Bipley,  Dr.  Puffer,  and 
others  of  an  earlier  and  later  origin  than  these.  Few 
of  them,  in  the  care  and  neatness  with  which  they 
are  Avritten,  compare  with  those  of  my  father,  —  a 
hint  of  that  scrupulous  attention  to  his  dress,  car- 
riage, garden,  grounds,  house,  and  barn,  which 
formed  a  noticeable  element  of  his  character. 

"Many  scenes  of  his  ministerial  life  are  among  the 
delightful  recollections  of  my  childhood.  I  recall, 
with  special  pleasure,  the  walk  to  church  on  a  pleas- 
ant Sunday  morning  in  summer,  when  six  or  eight 
children  would  arrange  themselves  in  order,  the  sons 
on  the  side  of  their  father,  the  daughters  on  the  side 
of  their  mother ;  and  the  platoon  would  proceed,  with 
all  becoming  gravity  and  solemnity,  to  the  house  of 
prayer.  That  old  square  church  in  the  middle  of  the 
Common,  with  porches  bulging  out  on  three  sides, 
with  its  large  old-fashioned  pews  and  slamming  seats, 
is  before  me  now.  I  remember  many  a  ride  with 
my  father  to  distant  parts  of  the  town,  where  he 
went  to  attend  a  funeral,  or  officiate  at  a  conference 
meeting. 

"  The  '  working-bees,'  too,  are  not  forgotten,  when 
all  the  farmers  of  the  parish  assembled  to  rid  one  of 
our  pastures  of  its  ancient  inheritance  of  rocks ;  and 
when  all  the  housewives  of  the  parish  brought  offer- 
ings to  our  house  of  cloth  and  yarn,  no  doubt  spin- 
ning much  of  the  latter  on  the  spot.  These  last- 


164  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

named  occasions  were  fruitful,  in  many  ways,  of  much 
merriment,  and  wove  fabrics  more  enduring  than 
those  then  prized  and  praised.  Town-meeting  days 
brought  a  display  of  ceremony  nowhere  else  wit- 
nessed by  the  boys.  A  large  committee  of  citi- 
zens waited  on  the  pastor  to  conduct  him  to  open 
the  meeting  with  prayer.  The  formal  procession,  the 
opening  to  the  right  and  left,  the  bowing  to  the  pas- 
tor, as  he  passed  the  line,  was  something  that  pleased 
the  keen  eyes  of  youth.  When  witnessing  a  similar 
custom  in  Holland,  a  few  years  ago,  I  could  not 
doubt  that  there  was  the  origin  of  this  old  New- 
England  ceremony ;  while  I  could  not  but  regret 
that  this  little  tie  connecting  us  with  the  days  of  old 
is  now  almost  obliterated. 

"  My  father  belonged  to  the  liberal  class  of  minis- 
ters of  his  day,  exchanging  pulpits  with  Rev.  Dr. 
Bancroft,  of  Worcester,  Rev.  Dr.  Thayer,  of  Lancas- 
ter, Rev.  Dr.  Ripley,  of  Concord,  and  others  of  the 
same  theological  affinity  ;  although,  as  party-lines 
were  not  drawn  with  the  strictness  of  later  days,  he 
maintained  fraternal  intercourse  with  more  orthodox 
clergymen  of  his  neighborhood. 

"  On  a  salary  never  amounting  to  three  hundred 
dollars  per  annum,  he  lived  in  the  practice  of  the 
hospitality  which  was  then  more  generous  than 
now ;  he  brought  up  a  large  family  of  children,  one 
of  whom  he  carried  through  college,  and  to  all  of 
whom  he  gave  a  good  education. 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (OLD).  165 

"  When,  at  length,  divisions  arose  in  the  town,  he 
asked  a  dismission ;  and  his  connection  with  the  par- 
ish was  terminated,  Oct.  12,  1825.  In  the  spring 
of  the  following  year,  he  removed  to  the  neighboring 
town  of  Shrewsbury,  where  he  had  purchased  a 
farm.  Here  he  lived  till  the  day  of  his  death  ;  which 
event  took  place,  after  a  life  active  and  happy  to  the 
last,  March  20,  1849,  in  the  eighty-fourth  year  of 
his  age." 

His  children,  by  his  wife,  Mary,  besides  three,  — 
two  sons  and  a  daughter,  —  who  died  in  infancy, 
were,  — 

1.  Mary   Denny,   married    Rev.    Seth    Alden,    of 
Marlborough,  and  was  the  mother  of  John  Carver 
Alden,  a  merchant  in  Boston,  and  William   Brad- 
ford, who  died  in  infancy.     Mrs.   Alden  died  July 
31,  1825. 

2.  John  Russell,  died  in  1819,  at  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen. 

3.  Henry  Adolphus,  the  well-known   minister  of 
Lowell,  afterwards  Secretary  of  the  American  Uni- 
tarian  Association,   who,   by   his   wife,   Augusta  H. 
(Moore)  Miles,  has  seven  children,  —  Henry  Town- 
send,  Charles  Russell,   Francis    Denny,  Helen  Au- 
gusta,   Sarah    Holyokc,   Mary   Denny,   and   George 
Blagden. 

4.  Sarah    Henshaw,    married    to    John    Cooledge 
Mason,  of  Worcester ;  whose  children  are  seven,  — 
Henry  Ware,  George  Denny,  Albert  Russell,  Emily 


166  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (OLD). 

Wood,  John  Frederick,  Sarah  Elizabeth,  and  Mary 
Augusta. 

5.  Charles     Edward,    married     Catherine    Swan 
Denny,    whose     children     are,  —  Mary     Elizabeth, 
Catherine    Augusta,   Charles    Denny,   Sarah    Swan, 
Ellen  Maria,  and  William. 

6.  Elizabeth  Denny,  married  George  Allen,  for- 
merly principal  of  the  Hancock  School,  Boston.    She 
died  two  years  after  her  marriage ;  leaving  an  infant 
child,  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  childhood.    He  died  in 
1864. 

7.  Augusta  Sophia,   married  Isaac  R.   Noyes,  of 
Shrewsbury. 


LANCASTER  ASSOCIATION. 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION. 


'"TPHE  LANCASTER  ASSOCIATION  was  formed  April 
14,  1815,  and  consisted  originally  of  four  mem- 
bers,— Nathaniel  Thayer,  of  Lancaster ;  Isaac  Allen, 
of  Bolton ;  Lemuel  Capen,  of  Sterling ;  and  David 
Damon,  of  Lunenburg.  To  these  names  were  sub- 
sequently added  Joseph  Allen,  of  Northborough ; 
Samuel  Clark,  of  Princeton ;  and  Peter  Osgood,  of 
Sterling.  With  the  exception  of  the  writer,  all  have 
ceased  from  their  mortal  labors,  and  gone  to  their 
reward.  Of  the  departed,  —  "  brethren  beloved  for 
Jesus'  sake,"  with  whom  I  have  taken  sweet  counsel, 
and  labored  together  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  —  I  wish 
to  speak,  neither  in  the  language  of  indiscriminate 
eulogy  nor  of  cold  indifference,  but  with  a  deep 
feeling  of  responsibility,  and  a  desire  to  do  justice 
to  the  memory  of  departed  friends. 

A  meeting  for  consultation  was  held  at  Lancaster, 
on  Friday,  April  14,  when  it  was  agreed  to  form  an 


170  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

Association ;  and  the  senior  member  was  requested 
to  prepare  a  draft  of  a  Constitution  to  be  presented 
at  an  adjourned  meeting.  Accordingly,  at  the  ap- 
pointed time,  June  14,  the  brethren  met  at  the  house 
of  Rev.  Isaac  Allen,  in  Bolton ;  a  Constitution  was 
adopted ;  and  the  Association  was  organized  by 
making  choice  of  Rev.  N.  Thayer  as  moderator, 
and  Rev.  Lemuel  Capen  as  scribe. 

A  letter  of  Rev.  Mr.  Capen,  addressed  to  the  writer 
a  short  time  before  his  death,  states  that  the  Asso- 
ciation was  intended  to  embrace  two  other  towns 
at  least,  Leominster  and  Harvard,  originally  in- 
cluded within  the  territorial  limits  of  Lancaster,  as 
also  were  Sterling  and  Bolton :  — 

"  The  Rev.  Warren  Fay,  then  of  Harvard,"  accord- 
ing to  his  statement,  "  was  with  us  by  invitation,  and 
was  asked  to  join  with  us,  but  declined.  He  had 
exchanged  with  me  the  year  before ;  and  up  to  that 
time,  I  believe,  he  used  to  exchange  with  the  other 
gentlemen  present.  Rev.  Mr.  Bascom,  of  Leomin- 
ster, was  not  with  us ;  though  he  must  have  been 
invited,  as  he  was  installed  there  in  the  spring  of 
1815." 

As  many  readers  may  wish  to  learn  what  were 
the  principles  and  rules  adopted  for  their  guidance 
by  the  founders  of  this  Association,  I  present  a  copy 
of  the  Constitution,  which  they  adopted  at  the  meet- 
ing in  Bolton :  — 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  171 


Constitution  of  the  Lancaster  Association. 

With  a  view  to  professional  and  Christian  improvement,  the 
subscribers  agree  to  associate,  and  that  the  Association  shall  be 
called  the  Lancaster  Association. 

The  members  severally  engage  to  conform  to  the  following 
regulations :  — 

1.  The  senior  member  at  each  meeting  shall  be  Moderator; 
and,  in  addition  to  his  being  the  presiding  officer,  shall  engage 
in  all  discussions,  and  perform  his  duty  agreeably  to  the  method 
prescribed  in  a  following  article. 

2.  There  shall  be  a  Scribe,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  keep  an 
impartial  record  of  all  proceedings ;  and,  before  the  Association 
shall  separate,  give  notice  of  the  place  at  which  the  succeed- 
ing meeting  shall  be  holden,  and  also  give  such  notification  to 
absent  members  as  may  be  necessary. 

3.  On  the  second  Wednesday  of  each  month,  beginning  with 
April,  at  ten  o'clock,  A.M.,  there  shall  be  a  meeting  of  the  Asso- 
ciation.    The  first  shall  be  at  the  house  of  the  senior  member, 
then  according  to  seniority.    If  there  be  not  a  sufficient  number 
of  members  to  have  a  meeting  in  each  of  the  seven  succeeding 
months,  there  shall  be  such  alterations  of  the  time  as  may  be 
thought  expedient. 

4.  Each  meeting  shall  be  opened  with  prayer  by  the  mem- 
ber at  whose  house  the  meeting  of  the  Association  may  be. 
He  shall  also  prepare  a  dissertation,  or  take  the  lead  in  a  verbal 
discussion  on  some  subject  assigned  at  the  preceding  mooting. 
The  other  members  shall  express  their  ideas  on  the  subject,  and 
on  the  dissertation  which  they  have  heard,  beginning  with  the 
junior  members. 

5.  At   each  meeting,   there   shall   be    a    public   lecture   at 
two  o'clock,  P.M.     The  members  shall  preach  according  to  their 
standing  (reckoning  from  the  time  of  their  ordination),  unless 
local  situation  or  other  circumstances  prevent.     If  the  person 
expected   to   preach   be  absent,   the   next   in   succession    shall 
perform. 

6.  At   the  last  meeting  in   the  season,  the  subject   of  the 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 


sermons  for  the  succeeding  year  shall  be  agreed  upon,  and 
the  respective  societies  notified  on  the  preceding  sabbath  of  the 
meeting  of  the  Association  and  of  the  topic  of  the  sermon. 

7.  When  the  Association  are  in  retirement,  each  member, 
who  has  been  a  hearer,  beginning  with  the  junior,  shall  in  a 
friendly  manner  remark  on  the  public  performances. 

8.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Moderator  to  prevent  any 
conversation   or  discussion,  which  may  interrupt  the  regular 
business  of  the  Association. 


To  this  document,  the  names  of  the  four  original 
members  were  subscribed ;  and,  with  some  unimpor- 
tant modifications,  this  Constitution  remained  in  force 
up  to  the  time  of  its  union  with  the  Old  Worcester 
Association ;  when,  by  the  articles  of  agreement 
entered  into  between  the  Lancaster  and  the  Worces- 
ter Associations,  it  became  the  Constitution  of  the 
new  Association  then  formed.  Since  that  time,  it 
has  undergone  various  changes  and  modifications,  of 
some  of  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  here- 
after. 

It  existed  as  a  separate  body  till  May,  1820, 
having  received  accessions  of  three  new  members,  — 
Clarke  of  Princeton,  Allen  of  Northborough,  and 
Osgood  of  Sterling ;  losing,  in  the  mean  time,  one  of 
their  number,  by  the  removal  of  their  first  scribe, 
Rev.  Lemuel  Capen. 

I  now  present  brief  biographical  sketches  of  the 
members  of  the  Lancaster  Association. 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  173 


REV.  NATHANIEL   THAYER,  D.D. 

The  senior  member  of  the  Lancaster  Association 
was  Dr.  Thayer ;  a  man  eminent  in  his  profession, 
whose  useful  ministry  lasted  nearly  half  a  century, 
and  whose  praise  was  and  is  in  all  our  churches. 
Dr.  Thayer  was  born  in  Hampton,  N.H.,  July  11, 
1769,  the  year  so  memorable  for  giving  birth  to 
distinguished  men.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev.  Ebe- 
nezer  Thayer  (H.C.  1753),  the  worthy  minister  of 
that  place,  "  who  was  "  we  are  told,  "  remarkable  in 
his  day  for  his  learning,  for  the  dignity  and  suavity 
of  his  manners,  and  the  placidity  of  his  temper  and 
disposition."  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Rev. 
John  Cotton,  of  Newton,  who  was  a  great-grandson 
of  the  celebrated  John  Cotton,  the  minister  of  the 
First  Church  in  Boston. 

He  fitted  for  college  at  Exeter  Academy,  being 
a  member  of  the  first  class  of  pupils  offered  for 
admission  by  that  institution  to  Harvard  College, 
which  he  entered  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  He  passed 
the  ordeal  of  college  life  with  safety  and  honor, 
gaining  distinction  as  a  scholar,  in  a  class  that  num- 
bered among  its  members  such  men  as  Rev.  William 
Emerson  and  President  Kirkland,  whom  he  reckoned 
among  his  personal  friends.  He  graduated  in  1789, 
and  at  once  entered  on  a  course  of  studies  prepara- 
tory to  the  Christian  ministry,  under  the  direction  of 


174  LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION. 

Rev.  Dr.  Osgood,  of  Medford,  —  a  man  of  reputed 
orthodox  faith,  but  who  breathed  the  very  spirit  of 
freedom,  and  to  whose  fervid  eloquence  in  the  pulpit 
no  one  could  listen  without  emotion.  That  the 
pulpit  profited  by  the  teachings  and  example  of 
this  champion  of  religious  freedom,  this  able  theo- 
logian and  eloquent  divine,  the  life  and  ministry  of 
Dr.  Thayer  fully  evince.  He,  too,  was  a  champion 
of  religious  freedom,  and  a  strenuous  vindicator  of 
the  right  of  private  judgment  in  matters  of  re- 
ligion, and  of  the  independence  of  Congregational 
churches. 

Soon  after  approbation,  he  preached  as  a  candi- 
date at  the  church  on  Church  Green,  Boston,  and 
received  a  majority  of  the  votes  of  the  proprietors 
for  settlement.  He  afterwards  passed  a  year  at 
Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  on  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna, 
in  the  family  of  Hon.  Timothy  Pickering,  Secretary 
of  War  in  Washington's  administration,  where  he 
commenced  his  active  ministry.  Having  received 
a  unanimous  invitation  to  settle  as  colleague  pastor 
over  the  large  and  respectable  society  in  Lancaster, 
of  which  the  Rev.  Timothy  Harrington  had  been 
sole  pastor  for  nearly  half  a  century,  he  received 
ordination  Oct.  9,  1793. 

The  following  anecdote  relating  to  the  two  asso- 
ciate pastors  is  given  in  the  discourse  preached  at 
the  funeral  of  Dr.  Thayer,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Hill :  — 

"While   the  youthful   candidate   was   making  his 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  175 

vows  at  the  altar,  and  was  receiving  from  his  breth- 
ren and  fathers  in  the  ministry  the  charge  to  be 
faithful  and  true,  the  aged  and  infirm  pastor  was 
stretched  upon  a  bed  of  languishing,  to  which  he 
had  for  many  weeks  been  confined.  His  strength 
was  wasting  away,  and  the  fountains  of  life  were 
drying  up  within  him.  But  his  work  was  not  quite 
done.  One  act  yet  remained,  and  then  he  was 
ready  to  go.  Accordingly,  when  the  rite  of  ordi- 
nation was  over,  and  his  youthful  associate,  invested 
with  the  sacred  office,  was  passing  by  with  the  pro- 
cession of  his  parishioners  and  friends,  the  old  man 
was  borne  to  the  gate  of  his  dwelling,  his  eyes  dim 
with  years  and  his  locks  streaming  in  the  wind ; 
and,  there  supported,  he  placed  his  trembling  hand 
on  the  head  of  the  young  pastor,  and  invoked  on 
him  the  blessing  of  Heaven.  Almost  in  the  words 
of  Simeon,  he  gave  utterance  to  his  emotions :  "  I 
now  die  in  peace.  I  can  go,  and  bear  witness  to 
my  brother,  from  whom  I  received  this  people,  that 
I  leave  them  united,  prospered,  and  happy."  Mr. 
Harrington  lived  a  little  more  than  two  years  from 
this  time ;  his  death  having  taken  place  Dec.  18, 
1795,  at  the  age  of  eighty,  and  in  the  forty-eighth 
year  of  his  ministry. 

Possessed  of  good  natural  abilities,  with  the  advan- 
tages of  a  high  intellectual  and  religious  culture,  of 
a  dignified  aspect,  a  strong  and  rich  and  well-modu- 
lated voice,  together  with  easy,  graceful,  winning 


176  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

manners,  Dr.  Thayer  soon  gained  the  reputation  of 
an  accomplished  pulpit- orator  and  able  divine.  He 
was  at  the  height  of  his  reputation,  and  in  the  full 
maturity  of  his  powers,  when  my  acquaintance  with 
him  commenced,  and  when  I  was  introduced  to  the 
family  of  which  he  was  the  honored  and  beloved 
head. 

To  him  more  than  any  one  else  was  the  Lan- 
caster Association  indebted  for  the  excellent  rules 
and  regulations  adopted  for  its  basis.  It  was  about 
this  time,  1815—1820,  that  several  young  men,  who 
had  pursued  their  theological  studies  at  Cambridge 
or  Boston,  under  the  direction  of  Drs.  Kirkland 
and  Ware  and  Channing,  had  obtained  a  settle- 
ment as  ministers  in  this  part  of  Worcester  County. 
Damon  of  Lunenburg,  Capen,  and  subsequently 
Osgood,  of  Sterling,  Allen  of  Northborough,  and 
Clarke  of  Princeton,  were  of  this  number.  These, 
with  Father  Allen,  as  he  was  called,  of  Bolton, 
formed  a  circle  of  which  Dr.  Thayer  was  the 
centre,  drawn  together  by  similarity  of  views,  and 
unity  of  spirit.  During  the  brief  period  between 
its  formation  and  union  with  the  Worcester  Asso- 
ciation, Dr.  Thayer,  as  the  senior  member,  presided 
over  it  with  his  accustomed  ability,  dignity,  and 
suavity  of  manners.  He  assumed  no  superiority 
over  his  younger  brethren ;  who,  however,  as  was 
meet,  deferred  to  his  superior  wisdom  and  sounder 
judgment.  He  welcomed  them  to  their  respective 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION.  177 

fields  of  labor,  aided  them  by  his  counsels,  sympa- 
thized with  them  in  their  trials,  and  rejoiced  in  their 
success ;  and  they,  in  turn,  appreciated  his  services, 
valued  his  friendship,  and  paid  him  the  tribute  of 
their  involuntary  respect. 

After  the  union  of  the  two  Associations,  his  place, 
as  moderator,  was  filled  by  his  senior,  Rev.  Dr. 
Bancroft,  till  the  death  of  the  latter;  but  he  still 
occupied  a  high  position  in  the  body,  and  did  much 
to  keep  it  alive  and  in  working  order.  The  measures 
that  were  adopted,  from  time  to  time,  to  give  in- 
creased interest  and  value  to  the  meetings  of  the 
Association,  or  for  promoting  other  objects  of  Chris- 
tian philanthropy,  if  they  did  not  originate  with  him, 
were  sure  to  find  in  him  an  earnest  advocate  and  a 
firm  and  efficient  friend.  He  was  never  rash  and 
precipitate ;  but  he  believed  in  progress,  and  held  fast 
only  that  which  time  and  experience  had  proved  to 
be  good.  He  was  a  liberal  Christian  in  the  best 
sense  of  the  term,  —  a  worthy  associate  of  such 
men  as  Bancroft  and  Freeman  and  Kirkland  and 
Thatcher,  the  elder  Ware  and  Buckminster  and  Chan- 
ning,  with  whom  he  lived  on  terms  of  personal  inti- 
macy and  friendship.  His  reputation  for  integrity 
and  practical  wisdom  caused  him  to  be  often  invited 
to  take  a  seat  in  ecclesiastical  councils  for  the  settle- 
ment of  difficulties  arising  between  churches  and 
their  ministers,  —  in  his  day  of  frequent  occurrence, 
now  scarcely  known  in  the  churches  of  our  faith. 

12 


178  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

On  these  occasions,  he  frequently  acted  as  moderator; 
and  his  counsels  and  suggestions  often  dictated  the 
result.  Through  his  exchanges  with  his  brethren, 
he  became  known  in  all  the  region  round  about; 
and,  wherever  he  went,  his  appearance  in  the  pulpit 
was  the  signal  for  a  simultaneous  smile  of  welcome 
throughout  the  assembly.  He  may  not  have  been 
eloquent  in  the  highest  sense  of  that  term  ;  but  he 
was  rational  and  earnest  and  instructive,  "  able  in 
prayer,"  and  impressive  in  delivery.  So  rich  and 
powerful  a  voice  is  seldom  heard  in  the  pulpit, 
at  the  bar,  or  in  the  senate.  With  such  gifts  and 
graces,  he  could  not  fail  to  secure  for  himself  a  high 
place  in  the  public  estimation.  Accordingly,  he  was 
honored  abroad,  as  he  was  the  object  of  esteem  and 
affection  at  home. 

He  was  peculiarly  happy  in  his  domestic  relations  ; 
and  his  home  was  a  model  of  a  well-regulated  Chris- 
tian family,  where  parental,  filial,  and  fraternal  affec- 
tion were  blended  in  due  proportions,  forming  a 
threefold  cord,  which  could  not  be  easily  broken. 
Mrs.  Sarah  Thayer,  his  excellent  wife,  was  the 
daughter  of  Hon.  Christopher  Toppan,  also  of  Hamp- 
ton ;  and  from  youth  to  age,  through  all  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  life,  she  proved  herself  worthy  of  such  a 
husband.  They  had  their  share  of  domestic  trials ; 
among  which  was  the  removal  by  death  of  two 
daughters,  one  in  the  freshness  and  beauty  of  youth, 
the  other  in  the  ripeness  of  early  womanhood,  both 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION.  179 

highly  accomplished,  adorned  with  those  graces  01 
person  and  manners  which  win  affection  and  inspire 
respect.  These  trials  they  bore  with  chastened  grief, 
bowing  with  reverential  submission  to  the  behests  of 
the  all- wise  and  all-loving  Father.  At  the  time 
of  Dr.  Thayer's  death,  three  sons  and  two  daughters 
survived  to  comfort  their  widowed  mother  during 
the  remnant  of  her  days ;  one  of  whom,  the  late 
John  E.  Thayer,  of  Boston,  was  removed  from  earth 
while  yet  the  aged  mother  lived.  The  other  two 
sons,  Rev.  Christopher  T.  Thayer,  —  till  recently  the 
minister  of  the  First  Church  in  Beverly,  now  living 
in  Boston,  —  and  Nathaniel  Thayer,  Esq.,  of  Boston, 
with  their  two  sisters,  still  live,  dispensing  good 
within  their  several  spheres,  according  as  God  has 
prospered  and  blessed  them. 

Dr.  Thayer  continued  the  active  labors  of  the 
ministry  among  his  people,  without  any  sensible 
abatement  of  physical  or  intellectual  power,  with 
but  few  interruptions  from  sickness,  till  a  few  weeks 
before  his  death.  In  June,  1840,  he  set  out  with 
his  daughter,  Mary  Ann,  on  a  journey  for  recreation 
and  health,  through  the  State  of  New  York,  intend- 
ing to  revisit  the  scenes  of  his  early  ministry  on  the 
banks  of  the  Susquehanna  in  Pennsylvania.  He 
had  reached  Rochester,  N.Y.,  where,  after  a  pleasant 
evening,  he  retired  to  rest  apparently  in  good  health. 
This  was  the  22d  of  June.  The  closing  scene  shall 
be  given  in  the  words  of  another  (Dr.  Hill's  Funeral 
Discourse,  p.  23)  :  — 


180  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

"  The  messenger  of  death  had  been  sent,  and  was 
already  on  his  way ;  and,  in  the  silence  of  the  night 
and  in  a  strange  city,  he  came,  —  and  the  aged  pastor, 
familiar  with  his  form,  perceived  that  his  hand  was 
upon  him,  and  felt  his  cold  breath  upon  his  cheek : 
but  his  presence  and  power  created  no  alarm.  With- 
out a  murmur  or  a  sigh  of  discontent,  he  yielded  to 
the  decision  of  an  unerring  Providence ;  and,  serene 
and  cheerful,  awaited  the  final  issue.  His  mind  was 
never  clearer,  or  his  heart  warmer.  His  thoughts 
were  among  his  family  and  the  people  whom  he  loved. 
'  Give  them  my  dying  love,'  said  he  to  the  daugh- 
ter whose  privilege  it  was  to  stand  by  his  bedside. 
'  Tell  them  I  cheerfully  submit ;  I  die  in  the  faith 
I  have  preached ;  I  die  in  peace  and  in  the  hopes  of 
the  gospel.'  It  was  all  that  he  could  say ;  and  then, 
in  accordance  with  his  oft-repeated  prayer,  that  he 
might  not  survive  his  usefulness  or  the  possession 
of  his  powers,  —  that  he  might  not  die  a  lingering 
and  painful  death,  —  he  sunk  to  his  rest,  as  calmly  and 
gently  as  an  infant  into  its  slumbers.  And  they  who 
were  there,  and  witnessed  that  death,  although  but 
strangers  the  day  before,  and  of  a  faith  differing  from 
his  own,  took  note,  and  said,  "  A  good  man  has 
fallen."  He  died  at  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
the  23d  of  June ;  and  his  funeral  took  place  on  the 
29th,  in  the  church  in  which  he  had  so  long  minis- 
tered at  the  altar,  in  the  presence  of  a  great  assem- 
bly which  the  occasion  had  brought  together  from 
that  and  the  neighboring  towns. 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  181 

It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that,  within  the  twelve 
months  immediately  preceding  the  death  of  Dr. 
Thayer,  no  less  than  four  of  his  clerical  brethren, 
eminent  in  their  profession,  whose  names  are  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  progress  of  religious  free- 
dom, with  liberal  views  of  theology,  and  an  enlarged 
and  generous  philanthropy,  passed  on  to  their  re- 
ward; viz.,  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft,  President  Kirkland, 
and  Rev.  Drs.  Tuckerman  and  Follen,  —  men  of 
mark,  whose  memory  is  blessed. 

Children  of  Rev.  Dr.   Thayer. 

Dr.  Thayer  married,  Oct.  22,  1795,  Sarah,  daugh- 
ter of  Hon.  Christopher  Toppan,  of  Hampton,  N.H., 
by  whom  he  had  the  following  children  :  — 

1.  Sarah  Toppan,  born  Aug.  21,  1796;  died  Oct. 
20,  1839. 

2.  Martha,   born  April  25,  1798;  married  John 
Marston,  Esq.,  for  many  years  consul  of  the  United 
States  at  Palermo,  Sicily. 

3.  Mary  Ann,  born  April  13,  1800. 

4.  Nathaniel,  died  in  infancy. 

5.  John  Eliot,  born  Aug.  23,  1803  ;  married  Ann, 
daughter  of  Ebenezer  Francis,  Esq.,  of  Boston  ;  died 
Sept.  29,  1857. 

6.  Christopher  Toppan,  born  June  5,  1805  ;  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century  the  minister  of  the  First  Parish 
in  Beverly.     Rev.  Christopher  Thayer  (H.C.  1824) 


182  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

married  Augusta,  daughter  of  Oliver  Brewster,  Esq., 
of  Boston. 

7.  Nathaniel,  born  Sept.  11,  1808;  married  Cor- 
nelia, daughter  of  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer, 
of  Albany,  N.Y. 

8.  Abigail,  born   Oct.    1,    1812;    died  Dec.    10, 
1834. 

List  of  Publications  of  Rev.  Dr.  Thayer. 

Sermon  at  the  Funeral  of  his  Colleague,  Rev.  Timothy  Har- 
rington, 1795. 

On  the  Annual  Fast,  1 795. 

Masonic  Discourse,  1797. 

Artillery  Election  Sermon,  1798. 

Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  E.  Whitcomb,  1799. 

Sermon  at  the  Installation  of  Rev.  William  Emerson,  Boston, 
1799. 

Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  John  Sabin,  Fitzwilliam, 
1805. 

Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  Samuel  Willard,  Deerfield, 
1807. 

Sermon  at  the  National  Fast,  1812. 

Sermon  at  the  Interment  of  Rev.  Francis  Gardner,  Leominster, 
1814. 

Sermon  on  Leaving  the  Old  Church,  Lancaster,  1816. 

Sermon  on  Entering  the  New  Church,  1817. 

Sermon  at  the  Funeral  of  Henry  Bromfield,  Esq.,  Harvard, 
1820. 

Election  Sermon,  1823. 

Sermon  at  the  Installation  of  Rev.  Winthrop  Bailey,  Green- 
field, 1825. 

Sermon  on  Revivals  of  Religion  in  the  "Liberal  Preacher," 
1827. 

Sermon  at  the  Dedication  of  the  Church,  Stow,  1827. 

Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  William  H.  White,  Littleton, 
1828. 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  183 

Discourse  at  Townsend,  1828. 

Discourse  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  A.  D.  Jones,  Hubbardston, 

1828. 

Thanksgiving  Discourse,  Lancaster,  1828. 
Discourse  at  the  Ordination  of  his  Son,  Christopher  T.  Thayer, 

Beverly,  1830. 
Address  at  Berry-street  Conference,  1831. 


REV.  ISAAC  ALLEN,  BOLTON. 

Next  in  seniority  to  Dr.  Thayer  was  Mr.  Allen, 
of  Bolton,  a  name  familiar  as  household  words  in  all 
the  region  embraced  by  the  Worcester  Association; 
for  he  was  so  identified  with  the  town  of  which  he 
had  so  long  been  the  minister,  that  their  names  were 
associated  in  the  public  mind,  and  were  commonly 
pronounced  in  the  same  breath.  Indeed,  he  seemed 
to  be  not  so  much  the  minister,  as  the  soul,  the  pre- 
siding genius,  of  that  respectable  corporation.  There 
he  spent  forty  years  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  his 
duties  as  a  pastor  and  Christian  minister  and  citizen  : 
there,  without  stinginess  or  meanness,  for  he  was 
"  given  to  hospitality,"  —  there,  without  shutting  his 
heart  or  his  hands  to  the  calls  of  suffering  humanity, 
by  a  thrift  as  incomprehensible  to  most  of  his  breth- 
ren as  it  is  rare,  at  least  in  the  profession  to  which 
he  belonged,  he  accumulated  a  fortune,  which  made 
him  the  wealthiest  man  in  the  town ;  and  there, 
in  honor  and  peace,  he  ended  his  days  in  a  good  old 
age,  bequeathing  to  his  beloved  people  the  whole  of 


184  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

his  estate,  amounting  to  more  than  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  and,  what  was  more  and  better,  the  remem- 
brance of  his  many  virtues. 

Mr.  Allen  was  born  in  Weston,  Oct.  31,  1771, 
and  was  the  son  of  a  respectable  mechanic  of  that 
place.  Owing  to  a  fall  on  the  ice,  when  a  lad  of 
thirteen,  he  became  a  cripple  for  life ;  and  his  halt- 
ing gait,  a  robust  frame,  and  full  and  florid  face, 
together  with  his  rapid  and  abrupt  utterance,  his 
friendly  and  cordial  greetings,  his  pithy  and  weighty 
sayings,  reminding  one  of  Dr.  Franklin's  .."  Poor 
Richard,"  his  apt  and  well-told  anecdotes,  his  easy 
intercourse  with  children  and  young  persons,  not 
only  in  his  parish,  but  in  the  families  of  his  brother 
ministers,  —  these,  and  other  peculiarities  and  quali- 
ties of  person  and  character,  are  called  up  before  us 
at  the  mention  of  his  name. 

After  spending  some  years  in  learning  a  trade,  he 
was  encouraged  by  his  minister,  Rev.  Dr.  Kendall, 
to  seek  a  collegiate  education.  Accordingly,  he  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  study  of  the  classics,  under  the 
direction  of  his  pastor,  and  entered  Harvard  College 
at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  graduating  with  the  class 
of  1798,  —  a  class  that  numbered  among  its  members 
Judge  Story,  and  Rev.  Drs.  Tuckerman  and  Chan- 
ning,  of  blessed  memory.  Having  pursued  a  course 
of  preparatory  studies  with  Dr.  Kendall,  he  began 
to  preach,  and  soon  received  a  nearly  unanimous 
call  from  the  town  of  Bolton,  to  fill  the  place  made 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  185 

vacant  by  the  death  of  their  minister,  Rev.  Phineas 
Wright  (H.C.  1772).  He  accepted  the  invitation, 
and  was  ordained  March  14,  1804.  "  At  the  time 
of  his  ordination,  I  have  heard  him  say,"  writes 
Rev.  Mr.  Edes,  his  successor  in  the  ministry,  "  there 
was  an  immense  body  of  snow  on  the  ground ;  and 
the  travelling  was  difficult  and  dangerous."  j 

He  had  at  this  time  reached  the  mature  age  of 
thirty-three  years  ;  and  here  he  passed  in  great  quiet 
the  remainder  of  his  days,  laboring,  as  occasion 
called  and  as  inclination  prompted,  with  his  own 
hands,  in  his  garden  and  on  his  homestead,  but 
not  to  the  neglect  of  his  duties  as  a  parish  minis- 
ter. During  the  whole  of  this  period  of  forty  years, 
with  the  exception  of  the  last  year  of  his  life,  when 
he  was  disabled  by  disease,  and  was  relieved  of  his 
burden  by  the  settlement  of  a  colleague,  Rev.  Rich- 
ard S.  Edes,  he  was  prevented  from  preaching,  on 
account  of  indisposition,  but  one  Sunday. 

Though  never  married,  he  did  not  live  in  seclu- 
sion, or  without  many  of  the  comforts  and  joys  of 
domestic  life.  For  many  years,  he  had  a  pleasant 
home  in  the  family  of  Madame  Wright,  the  widow 
of  his  predecessor,  who,  being  childless,  bequeathed 

•  I  well  remember  the  winter  of  1804,  that  it  was  one  of  uncommon 
severity ;  that  the  snow  accumulated  to  a  very  great  depth ;  and  that 
BO  late  as  the  23J  of  Mnrch, — a  date  fixed  in  my  memory,  as  on  that 
day  my  aged  grandfather  died, —  while  the  sun  was  so  warm  as  to 
cause  the  buds  to  swell,  the  snow  by  the  roadsides  was  even  with  the 
walls;  and  that,  on  that  or  the  following  day,  I  saw  in  a  sheltered  nook, 
where  a  warm  spring  issued,  a  dandelion  in  full  blossom!  —  J.  A. 


186  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

to  him  the  principal  part  of  her  estate.  After  her 
decease,  he  continued,  to  occupy  the  same  spacious 
mansion,  having  the  good  fortune  to  secure  the  ser- 
vices of  a  housekeeper  admirably  fitted  for  the 
place,  who  was  to  him  even  as  a  daughter,  and  who, 
after  many  years  of  faithful  services,  sickened  and 
died  in  his  house.  Her  death  was  felt  by  him  as 
one  of  the  severest  trials  of  his  life,  from  the  effects 
of  which  he  never  fully  recovered.  He  felt  his 
solitariness,  and  the  more  as  the  infirmities  of  age 
crept  upon  him.  Almost  to  the  last,  however,  he 
retained  to  a  remarkable  degree  his  bodily  vigor 
and  his  mental  activity  ;  nor  did  his  affections  grow 
languid,  or  his  interest  in  his  profession  or  in  his 
people  abate  one  jot.  But  he  had  now  completed 
his  "  threescore  years  and  ten ;  "  and  he  was  anxious 
to  be  relieved  of  a  part  of  the  burden,  which  began 
to  press%too  heavily  on  his  aged  shoulders.  Accord- 
ingly, about  a  year  before  his  death,  he  asked  for  a 
colleague,  and  his  request  was  granted ;  and,  May 
24,  1843,  Rev.  Richard  S.  Edes  was  installed  as 
junior  pastor,  Avith  his  full  and  cordial  approval. 
But  the  connection  thus  happily  formed  was  of  brief 
continuance.  In  the  beginning  of  the  following  au- 
tumn, he  was  seized  with  paralysis,  which  prostrated 
his  strength,  confined  him  to  his  room,  and  made 
him  a  helpless  invalid  during  the  brief  remnant  of 
his  days.  His  mind,  however,  was  still  unclouded, 
and  his  trust  in  God  unfaltering.  He  was  glad  to 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  187 

see  his  friends,  whom  he  cordially  greeted,  and  with 
whom  he  freely  conversed,  although  with  imperfect 
utterance.  He  continued  in  much  the  same  state 
for  several  months.  On  the  first  Sunday  of  the  new 
year,  Jan.  7,  1844,  he  addressed  the  following  pas- 
toral letter  to  his  church,  which  was  read  at  the 
commencement  of  the  communion  service  on  that 
day :  — 

"  CHRISTIAN  FRIENDS,  —  I  wish  you  a  happy  new 
year,  and  all  the  happiness  which  results  from  a 
faithful  discharge  of  duty.  Your  old  minister  and 
friend,  although  weak  and  helpless,  feels  the  same 
strong  interest  in  your  welfare  he  has  ever  felt. 
During  the  few  remaining  days  God  may  see  fit  to 
spare  me  on  earth,  it  will  give  me  heartfelt  pleasure 
to  hear  of  your  religious  progress,  and  that  you  are 
increasing  in  numbers  and  strength,  and  that  you 
remain  united,  full  of  Christian  faith  and  charity, 
and  that  you  are  making  daily  advancement  in  every 
thing  excellent  and  praiseworthy.  I  would  say  to 
those  young  friends  who  have  recently  united  with 
the  church,  that  I  hope  they  will  experience  all  the 
religious  advantages  and  pleasures  they  anticipate 
from  this  step.  I  would  also  express  the  hope,  that 
others,  who  have  been  witnesses  of  their  good  ex- 
ample, may  be  induced  to  follow  it. 

"  My  friends,  my  own  condition  may  serve  to 
remind  you  of  the  duty  of  action,  while  health  and 


188  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

strength  remain.  May  what  I  have  so  often  said 
to  you  from  the  pulpit  be  now  indelibly  impressed 
upon  your  minds,  —  that  the  sick-bed  is  no  place  to 
fix  the  attention  or  fasten  the  thoughts  on  any  sub- 
ject ;  and  that,  accordingly,  if  religious  thoughts  and 
principles  have  not  been  impressed  before,  they  can 
hardly  yield  here  their  appropriate  supports  and 
consolations ! 

"  Ever  your  friend,  ISAAC  ALLEN." 

"  The  attack  of  paralysis,"  says  Mr.  Edes,  in  his 
funeral  discourse,  "  was  a  most  grievous  affliction. 
He  had  hardly  known  before  what  it  was  to  be 
confined  to  a  sick-room.  He  loved  the  free  air  of 
heaven,  and  to  be  moving  about  among  his  friends 
and  people.  Sad,  sad,  then,  was  that  allotment 
of  Divine  Providence  which  laid  upon  him  the  bur- 
den of  helplessness.  Though  he  had  every  comfort 
of  which  his  case  admitted,  though  unwearied 
kindness  and  skill  ministered  to  his  relief,  and 
though  always  submissive  and  resigned,  still,  the 
wish  would  sometimes  burst  from  his  lips,  *  I  de- 
sire to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ;  nevertheless, 
God's  will  be  done.'  " 

Mr.  Allen  lingered  along  through  the  winter 
months,  till  March  18,  1844 ;  when,  just  four  days 
after  the  fortieth  anniversary  of  his  ordination,  he 
"  passed  on,"  and  entered  into  his  rest,  being  then 
in  the  seventy-third  year  of  his  age. 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION.  189 

<c  Our  father  died,"  says  Mr.  Edes,  "  amidst  min- 
istrations to  his  wishes  and  comforts  which  could  not 
have  been  surpassed,  in  tenderness  and  fidelity,  by  an 
affectionate  son  or  a  devoted  daughter.  He  died  at 
a  mature  age,  looking  backward  with  pleasant  mem- 
ories, and  forward  with  cheering  anticipations.  He 
died  possessed  of  the  sincere  affection  and  respect 
of  the  people  who  knew  him  intimately,  and  whom 
he  had  long  served.  He  died  with  a  loving,  be- 
nevolent, and  pious  heart.  He  died  a  Christian,  — 
so  far  as  we  could  know,  and  as  far  as  his  humility 
would  allow  him  to  confess  it,  —  with  a  pure  con- 
science, void  certainly  of  any  grave  offence  either 
towards  God  or  towards  men.  After  a  life,  in  the 
main,  healthy  and  happy,  he  died  in  the  hope  of  a 
blessed  immortality,  *  trusting,'  to  use  his  own  words, 
*  in  the  mercy  of  God,  as  made  known  by  Jesus 
Christ.' " 

Mr.  Allen  was  not  a  theologian,  a  metaphysician, 
or  a  scholar;  but  he  had  what  is  better,  —  a  large 
fund  of  plain,  good  sense,  a  deep  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  and  a  straightforward,  blunt  honesty, 
which  inspired  confidence,  and  made  him  a  wise  and 
safe  counsellor. 

In  confirmation  of  this  statement,  we  give  the 
following  extract  from  a  private  letter  of  Mr. 
Edes :  - 

"  He  was  never  much  of  a  literary  man,  never 
very  fond  of  study,  or  of  writing  sermons ;  but  he 


190  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

was  a  person  of  strong  mind,  of  accurate  and  often 
acute  perceptions,  of  remarkable  memory,  and  of 
correct,  if  not  fervent,  religious  feelings.  His  ready 
wit,  and  his  quickness  at  repartee,  were  quite  re- 
markable, —  as  in  the  story  told  of  his  college  life  : 
Walking  across  the  college  yard  one  day,  limping  as 
usual,  he  overheard  a  fellow-student  behind  him  say 
to  his  companion,  '  The  legs  of  the  lame  are  not 
equal,'  quoting  Prov.  xxvi.  7.  At  which  Allen 
immediately  turned  round,  and  gave  the  rest  of  the 
verse,  —  the  best  answer  that  could  be  made,  — '  So 
is  a  parable  in  the  mouth  of  a  fool.' " 

"  His  sermons,"  Mr.  Edes  continues,  "  I  should 
judge,  from  what  I  have  heard  of  them,  were  sound, 
sensible,  often  pithy,  evangelical,  in  the  true  sense 
of  the  word ;  but  better  adapted  to  meet  the  appro- 
bation of  minds  already  matured,  and  to  strengthen 
habits  of  feeling  already  tending  in  the  right  direc- 
tion, than  to  arouse  slumbering  consciences  or  to 
awaken  souls  sunk  in  apathy.  His  imagination  was 
sometimes  quite  active,  but  never  soared  high ;  and, 
as  to  rousing  appeals,  he  was  entirely  a  stranger  to 
any  thing  of  the  sort ;  though  in  keenness  and  se- 
verity of  rebuke,  when  any  thing  awakened  his  moral 
displeasure,  very  few  ever  went  beyond  him.  As  a 
parish  minister,  as  a  public-spirited  citizen,  sympa- 
thizing with  all  classes  of  his  parishioners,  seeking 
to  say  the  right  word,  and  to  do  the  right  thing,  at 
the  right  time,  in  the  joyful  or  the  sorrowful  occa- 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  191 

sions  of  life,  always  ready  with  pecuniary  or  other 
help  where  his  judgment  approved  or  his  feelings 
were  interested,  —  in  these  points  he  deserved,  as  he 
has  gained,  a  high  place  among  his  brethren." 

"  His  views  and  his  virtues,"  says  Rev.  Mr.  Sears, 
then  a  near  neighbor  and  intimate  friend  of  Mr. 
Allen,  "  were  all  practical.  He  thought  it  far  less 
important  what  men  believe,  than  what  they  do. 
His  whole  mind  and  character  were  formed  by  what 
is  usually  called  common  sense ;  and  this  gave  tone 
to  all  his  preaching,  and  a  thorough  coloring  to  his 
theology.  Indeed,  I  presume  that  those  who  heard 
him  preach  for  nearly  forty  years  knew  little  about 
his  theology ;  for  I  think  he  never  elaborated  any 
opinions,  except  those  which  touch  directly  upon 
moral  practice." 

In  illustration  of  this  remark,  Mr.  Sears  relates 
the  following  anecdote,  which  is  so  characteristic  of 
the  man,  that  it  could  not  well  be  omitted  :  — 

"  When  called  upon  once  by  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry  to  give  his  opinion  upon  the  origin  of  moral 
evil,  how  men  become  sinners,  and  what  is  the  true 
doctrine  of  human  depravity,  he  replied,  as  usual,  by 
an  illustration :  '  A  field  of  corn  belonging  to  one 
of  my  neighbors  was  the  other  day  broken  into ; 
and,  while  they  were  debating  the  question  how  the 
intruders  could  have  got  in,  the  whole  crop  was 
nearly  destroyed  and  eaten  up.  Go  home  to  your 
people,  and  work  faithfully  in  driving  sin  out  of  the 


192  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

world ;  and,  when  that  is  accomplished,  we  will  ask 
how  it  came  in.'  " 

With  the  closing  paragraph  of  Mr.  Sears's  funeral 
discourse,  we  take  leave  of  our  well-remembered, 
well-beloved  brother,  "Father  Allen,  of  Bolton,"  as, 
in  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  he  was  commonly 
called :  — 

"  He  was  the  last  of  his  generation  among  the 
Liberal  clergy  of  Worcester  County,  —  those  men 
who  stood  forth  for  freedom  of  thought  and  opinion 
among  the  Congregational  churches.  May  we  be 
faithful  to  the  trust  they  leave  us ;  using  that  freedom 
sacredly  in  learning  and  interpreting  the  only  creed 
they  would  bind  upon  us,  —  the  revealed  Word  of 
God !  Let  us  learn  it  with  fresh  zeal,  and  kindle  our 
souls  anew  from  its  everlasting  truths.  For  so  we, 
too,  are  passing  away.  So  we  press  on,  ministers 
and  people,  to  join  the  congregation  of  the  dead,  or, 
rather,  the  innumerable  and  immortal  company  that 
have  gone  to  the  tribunal  of  the  Eternal  Judge.  May 
we  go  as  servants  that  have  been  faithful,  and  lie 
down  to  life's  last  slumber,  at  peace  with  the  world, 
at  peace  with  ourselves,  and  at  peace  with  our 
God ! " 

At  the  funeral  of  Kev.  Isaac  Allen,  March  21, 
the  following  order  of  services  was  observed  :  — 

The  corpse  was  followed  from  the  late  dwelling- 
house  of  the  deceased  by  the  members  of  the  Worces- 
ter Association  of  Ministers  and  other  clergymen, 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  193 

and  by  the  parish  committee  of  arrangements,  to  the 
meeting-house.  On  arriving  there,  the  corpse  was 
borne  into  the  house,  and  placed  in  front  of  the 
pulpit. 

Hymn  464  of  Greenwood's  Collection  was  then 
sung,  —  "I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,"  &c. 

Prayer  was  then  offered  by  Rev.  Alonzo  Hill,  of 
Worcester. 

Selections  of  Scripture  were  read  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Sears,  of  Lancaster. 

Hymn  559  —  "  Servant  of  God,  well  done  "  —  was 
then  sung. 

The  funeral  sermon  was  delivered  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Edes ;  and  Rev.  Mr.  Allen,  of  Northborough,  offered 
the  funeral  prayer. 

Hymn  602  —  "  Unveil  thy  bosom,  faithful  tomb  " 
— was  then  sung ;  and  the  congregation  was  dismissed 
by  Rev.  William  H.  White,  of  Littleton. 

After  the  funeral  services  were  over,  the  people 
repaired  to  the  Town  Hall,  and  listened  to  the  read- 
ing of  the  will  by  Rev.  Mr.  Allen,  of  Northborough, 
by  which  the  whole  of  his  property,  amounting  to 
over  twenty  thousand  dollars,  was  bequeathed  to  the 
society  of  which  he  had  so  long  been  the  pastor. 

REV.   DAVID  DAMON,  LUNENBURG. 

Mr.  Damon,  another  of  the  original  members  of 
the  Lancaster  Association,  was  connected  with  the 

13 


194  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

new  Worcester  Association  from  its  formation  in 
1820  till  1829,  when  he  removed  from  this  county, 
to  enter  another  field  of  service.  He  was  born  at 
East  Sudbury,  now  Wayland,  Sept.  12,  1787,  and 
was  the  son  of  Aaron  and  Rachel  (Griffin)  Damon ; 
was  fitted  for  college  at  Andover ;  and  was  graduated 
at  Cambridge,  in  the  class  of  1811,  at  the  ripe  age  of 
twenty-four.  Among  his  classmates  were  Everett, 
Fuller,  Frothingham,  Gilman,  and  many  others  who 
have  gained  an  honorable  distinction  in  letters  and 
in  professional  life.  It  was  no  slight  indication  of 
merit  in  Mr.  Damon,  that  he  held  a  high  rank  in 
a  class  containing  so  large  a  proportion  of  good 
scholars,  and  so  many  of  distinguished  eminence. 
With  good  natural  abilities,  and  a  good  degree  of 
self-reliance,  he  could  easily  excel  in  the  recitation- 
room  ;  and,  by  the  early  habit  of  writing,  his  com- 
positions were  always  respectable,  and  sometimes 
of  superior  merit. 

Being  wholly  dependent  on  his  own  exertions  for 
support,  he  maintained  himself  through  the  four 
years  of  college  life,  partly  by  keeping  school  in  the 
winters,  and  partly  by  writing  for  a  literary  paper 
at  that  time  published  in  Boston.  Besides,  he  availed 
himself,  with  many  others  of  high  standing  as 
scholars,  of  the  privilege  of  earning  his  board  by 
waiting  on  the  table  in  Commons  Hall,  where  nearly 
all  the  students,  and  most  of  the  officers  of  college, 
took  their  meals.  He  graduated  with  distinguished 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION.  195 

honors,  on  the  best  terms  with  the  government,  and 
with  the  kind  regards  of  his  classmates. 

After  graduation,  he  entered  on  a  course  of  theo- 
logical studies  under  the  direction  of  President 
Kirkland,  Professor  Henry  Ware,  sen.,  and  Profes- 
sor Sidney  Willard ;  having  for  his  fellow-students, 
besides  six  or  eight  of  his  classmates,  a  number  who 
had  graduated  at  an  earlier  period,  among  whom 
were  Charles  Eliot,  George  B.  English,  Lemuel 
Capen,  and  Cyrus  Peirce.  Having  completed  his 
preparatory  studies,  he  offered  himself  as  a  candi- 
date for  settlement ;  and  having  received  an  invitation 
from  the  church  and  town  of  Lunenburg,  in  Worces- 
ter County,  he  received  ordination  Feb.  1,  1815.* 

The  society  over  which  he  was  placed  had  dimin- 
ished somewhat  in  numbers  and  strength  since  the 
days  of  the  venerable  Adams  (Zabdiel  Adams, 
H.C.  1759,  died  in  1801),  one  of  his  predecessors. 
"  I  found  the  town,"  Mr.  Damon  says  in  his  farewell 
discourse,  "  when  I  came  here,  in  a  divided  state 
as  to  religious  opinions ;  and  the  society  worshipping 
in  this  house,  already  reduced  in  number."  It  was 


*  The  day  and  night  preceding  the  ordination  (January  31)  were 
said  to  be  the  coldest  ever  experienced  in  our  climate;  the  average 
through  the  day  being  ten  degrees  below  zero.  Notwithstanding  the 
severity  of  the  weather,  Dr.  Ware,  sen.,  who  preached  the  ordination 
sermon,  rode  in  an  open  sleigh  from  Cambridge  to  Lunenburg;  taking 
with  him  one  of  his  daughters  as  far  as  Lexington,  which  place  they 
reached  before  sunrise,  and  arriving  at  Lunenburg  in  season  for  the 
ordination  services.  Rev.  Dr.  Field,  of  Weston,  was  ordained  on  the  same 
day,  which,  although  intensely  cold,  was  fair  and  pleasant. 


196  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

hardly  to  be  expected,  in  those  days  of  religious 
commotion,  just  as  the  great  controversy  broke  out, 
in  Boston  and  the  vicinity,  between  the  adherents 
of  the  old  and  the  advocates  of  the  new  faith,  that, 
however  gifted  or  faithful,  he  should  be  able  to 
heal  all  divisions,  and  harmonize  all  the  discordant 
elements,  that  he  found  there.'  He  was  a  man  of 
peace ;  and  no  one  ever  charged  him  with  being  a 
fomenter  of  strife  or  a  violent  partisan.  However 
he  may  have  been  regarded  at  home,  he  was  one 
of  the  most  acceptable  preachers  of  our  faith  in  the 
circle  of  his  exchanges.  Without  the  advantages  of 
a  commanding  presence,  he  had  a  clear  and  strong 
voice,  perfect  self-command,  and  an  easy  and  grace- 
ful delivery,  that  was  quite  attractive  ;  all  which  made 
him,  if  not  an  impressive  and  powerful,  yet  an  in- 
teresting and  popular,  preacher. 

In  the  meetings  of  the  Worcester  Association,  he 
was  always  ready  to  do  his  part ;  and  by  his  genial 
spirit,  no  less  than  by  his  learning  and  his  wit,  he 
did  much  to  render  those  meetings  pleasant  and 
useful.  His  brethren  held  him  in  honor;  and  his 
removal  from  their  neighborhood,  after  a  pleasant 
acquaintance  of  more  than  twelve  years,  was  an  occa- 
sion of  deep  regret. 

He  was  dismissed,  at  his  own  request,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1827,  after  a  ministry  of  nearly  thirteen  years ; 
and  the  sermon  he  preached  on  the  occasion,  which 
was  published,  contains  a  calm  and  dispassionate 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  197 

review  of  his  ministry,  and  an  affectionate  farewell 
to  the  people  whom  he  had  so  faithfully  served. 

He  did  not  long  remain  without  a  settlement. 
He  was  installed  over  the  church  and  society  of 
Salisbury  and  Amesbury,  in  the  north-eastern  part 
of  the  State,  June  25  of  the  following  year,  1828, 
where  he  remained  about  five  years  when,  May  14, 
1833,  he  asked  and  obtained  a  dismission  from  his 
pastoral  charge. 

The  reasons  which  led  him  to  make  this  request 
are  set  forth  in  the  following  letter,  addressed  to  his 
church  and  congregation  :  — 

"  CHRISTIAN  BRETHREN  AND  FRIENDS,  —  Having 
been  informed  by  members  of  the  society,  who  are 
undoubtedly  well  acquainted  with  its  situation,  that  a 
portion  of  the  pecuniary  aid  promised  to  the  society, 
previous  to  my  settlement  with  you,  is  withheld  ;  and 
that  influence,  which  it  was  then  expected  would  be 
exerted  in  favor  of  our  society,  has  been  turned 
against  it ;  and  that,  on  these  accounts,  the  society  is 
unable  to  continue  my  support,  —  I  therefore  respect- 
fully ask  a  dissolution,  &c. 

"  Your  pastor  and  affectionate  brother  in  Christ, 

"DAVID  DAMON. 
"  AMESBURY,  Dec.  4,  1832." 

The  council  called  to  sanction  the  proceedings 
relative  to  his  dismission,  of  which  Rev.  Charles  "W. 
Upham,  of  Salem,  was  moderator,  and  Rev.  Thomas 


198  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

B.  Fox,  of  Newburyport,  scribe,  bear  testimony  to 
his  fidelity  and  worth  in  the  following  terras  :  — 

"  The  council  cannot  bring  this  result  to  a  close, 
without  expressing  their  affectionate  sympathy  and 
Christian  regard  for  the  pastor  and  people,  whose 
hallowed  and  harmonious  union  has  thus  unexpect- 
edly been  dissolved  by  influences  beyond  their  con- 
trol, and  for  the  injurious  consequences  of  which, 
to  themselves  and  others,  they  cannot,  of  course,  be 
considered  to  any  extent  answerable.  When  the 
council  reflect  upon  the  motives  which  induced  Mr. 
Damon  to  relinquish  his  legal  claim  upon  the  society 
for  support,  and  to  throw  himself  and  family  again 
upon  the  world  without  any  other  reliance  than  a 
good  conscience  and  a  trust  in  God,  rather  than 
permit  a  faithful  people  to  bend  under  a  burden 
greater  than  they  could  bear,  or  remain  among  them 
to  kindle  the  fires  of  controversy,  and  conduct  a 
sectarian  strife,  in  a  small  and  industrious  village, 
which,  but  a  few  years  before,  he  had  entered  for 
the  purpose  of  advancing  the  cause  of  peace,  charity, 
and  love  within  its  bosom,  their  hearts  are  filled  with 
sympathy  for  his  disappointment,  and  with  admira- 
tion of  the  Christian  wisdom,  fortitude,  and  self- 
sacrifice  which  have  marked  his  course ;  and  when 
they  think  of  his  excellent  abilities  as  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel,  of  his  large  and  varied  experience, 
and  the  virtues  of  his  character  and  life,  they  are 
strong  in  the  belief,  that  Providence  will  open  to 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  199 

him,  in  some  other  field,  a  path  of  longer-timed 
usefulness  and  happiness." 

It  appears,  from  the  documents  which  were  pub- 
lished at  the  time,  that  this  was  one  of  those  cases, 
of  which  there  have  been  many  during  the  last 
thirty  years,  in  which,  for  the  sake  of  peace  and 
union  or  for  some  less  worthy  cause,  the  friends  of 
Liberal  Christianity  have  yielded  to  the  persistent 
claims  of  their  Orthodox  brethren,  and  disbanded,  — 
ceased  to  exist  as  organized  bodies. 

Mr.  Damon  did  not  long  remain  without  a  parish 
and  a  home.  He  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
First  Congregational  Church  and  Society  in  West 
Cambridge,  April  15,  1835,  where  he  remained  for 
eight  years.  "  Honored,"  to  borrow  the  words  in- 
scribed on  his  monument, — 

Honored  for  his  genius  and  learning, 

Revered  for  his  piety  and  virtue, 
Trusted  for  his  simplicity  and  integrity 

of  character,  loved  for  his  kind 

and  gentle  affections,  his  people  mourn 

the  loss  of  a  pastor  whose  daily  life 

repeated  the  lessons  of  the  pulpit. 

In  his  family,  a  husband  and  parent,  whose 

love  knew  no  measure ;  to  the 

public,  a  valued  citizen. 

On  the  reverse  is  the  following  :  — 

installed 

over  the  society  in 

West  Cambridge,  April  15,  1835. 

Seized  with  apoplexy 

at  a  funeral  service, 

he  died  on  the  following 


200  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

Sunday,  June  25,  1843, 

in  the  56th  year  of  his  age. 

His  body  is  the  first  interred 

in  this  cemetery,  which  was  consecrated 

by  him  a  few  days  before  his  death. 
This  monument  is  erected  by  members 

of  his  late  congregation,  as  a  humble 
tribute  of  affection  and  respect  to  his  memory. 

A  short  time  before  his  death,  the  degree  of  doctor 
of  divinity  was  conferred  on  him  by  a  vote  of  the 
Corporation  of  Harvard  University ;  but  it  had  not 
at  that  time  been  publicly  announced.  In  1841,  he 
preached  the  Election  Sermon  before  the  State  Legis- 
lature, which  was  printed.  He  also  preached  "  the 
Dudleian  Lecture  "  at  Cambridge  ;  both  appointments 
being  regarded  as  marks  of  distinguished  honor. 

His  death  was  sudden  and  wholly  unexpected,  as 
he  seemed  to  possess  a  good  degree  of  bodily  vigor, 
and  his  sound  constitution  gave  the  promise  of  long 
life.  He  died  in  the  midst  of  his  useful  and  accept- 
able labors,  at  a  time  when  he  seemed  to  have 
found  at  last  a  field  suited  to  his  powers,  and  a 
people  congenial  to  his  tastes,  among  whom  he  might 
hope  to  pass  the  evening  of  his  days  in  peace  and 
comparative  independence.  But  Heaven  ordered  it 
otherwise ;  and  it  becomes  us  to  bow  in  submission 
to  the  behests  of  the  All- wise,  the  All-loving  Father. 
Peace  to  the  memory  of  our  brother  and  classmate  ! 

It  is  stated  by  his  son,  Norwood  Damon,  in  a  note 
to  the  address  delivered  by  his  father  at  the  con- 
secration of  the  new  cemetery  in  West  Cambridge, 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

June  14,  that,  "  nine  days  subsequent  to  its  delivery, 
he  attended  the  funeral  of  the  Hon.  Edmund  Parker, 
in  Reading,  Mass.  He  entered  the  pulpit  appa- 
rently in  good  health,  but,  at  the  close  of  the  ser- 
vices, was  attacked  with  apoplexy.  He  was  conveyed 
from  the  pulpit  to  the  late  residence  of  Mr.  Parker, 
where  he  died  on  Sunday  morning,  June  25,  in  the 
fifty- sixth  year  of  his  age.  He  was  the  first  to  rest 
in  the  new  cemetery,  at  the  consecration  of  which 
he  had  so  recently  assisted." 

We  close  this  brief  notice  of  our  brother  Damon, 
with  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  from  his 
classmate,  Hon.  Edward  Everett :  — 

"  In  college,  I  knew  him  rather  intimately,  con- 
sidering the  difference  in  our  years ;  he  being  one 
of  the  oldest,  and  I  the  youngest  member  of  the 
class.  We  were  brother  members,  with  yourself,  of 
several  literary  clubs,  where  you  remember  he  dis- 
tinguished himself  by  the  maturity  of  his  compo- 
sitions, as  might,  indeed,  have  been  expected  from 
his  years. 

"  He  was  in  the  habit,  even  in  our  Freshman 
year,  of  writing  essays  for  one  or  two  literary  jour- 
nals, of  rather  humble  pretensions,  published  at  that 
time  in  Boston.  I  think  he  told  me  that  he  began 
to  do  this,  even  before  he  came  to  college.  In- 
fluenced by  his  example,  I  made  my  own  first  efforts 
at  writing  for  the  press  at  this  time.  Being  under 
fourteen  years  of  age,  they  were  of  course  crude 


202  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

enough.  His  pieces,  though,  if  I  remember,  not 
marked  by  much  vivacity,  were  sensible  and  correctly 
written.  He  maintained,  as  you  know,  a  very  re- 
spectable rank  in  the  class.  He  had  made  great 
efforts  to  prepare  himself  for  college,  and  distin- 
guished himself,  while  there,  among  the  most  diligent 
and  laborious  of  our  number.  He  was  perfectly 
amiable  in  his  disposition,  and  exemplary  in  his 
habits." 

Mr.  Damon  was  married,  Oct.  16,  1815,  to  Re- 
bekah,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  (Norwood) 
Derby,  of  Lynnfield,  by  whom  he  had  seven  chil- 
dren, —  four  sons  and  three  daughters.  Mrs.  Damon 
died  in  Boston,  May  21,  1852,  in  the  fifty-sixth  year 
of  her  age. 

The  following  list  of  Mr.  Damon's  publications  is 
taken  from  "  The  Annals  of  the  American  Unitarian 
Pulpit,"  by  Rev.  Dr.  Sprague  :  — 

A  Sermon  preached  at  Worcester,  not  far  from  the  Year 
1820. 

Sketch  of  the  Life  and  Character  of  the  late  Rev.  Joseph 
Motley,  of  Lynnfield,  published  in  the  "  Christian  Disciple," 
1822. 

A  Sermon  preached  at  Concord,  at  the  Semi-annual  Meet- 
ing of  the  Evangelical  Society  in  Massachusetts,  1823. 

A  Sermon  preached  at  Charlton,  Mass.,  at  the  Annual  Meet- 
ing of  the  Auxiliary  Bible  Society  in  the  County  of  Worcester, 
1826. 

A  Sermon  delivered  at  Lunenburg,  at  the  Close  of  his 
Ministry  there,  1827. 

An  Address  on  Temperance,  delivered  at  Amesbury,  1829. 

A  Sermon,  entitled  "  What  is  Truth  ?  "  about  1830. 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  203 

A  Sermon,  entitled  "  The  Common  Faith  of  Christians," 
published  in  the  "Liberal  Preacher,"  1830. 

A  Sermon,  entitled  "  Means  of  Attaining  Religion,"  pub- 
lished for  the  Union  Ministerial  Association,  1832. 

A  Sermon,  entitled  "  Human  Life :  a  Tale,"  delivered  at 
Amesbury. 

A  Sermon,  entitled  "  The  Exceeding  Sinfulness  of  Sin." 

A  Sermon  on  Acts  ii.  22. 

An  Address  delivered  before  the  Ministerial  Conference,  in 
Berry  Street,  Boston,  1840. 

A  Sermon  preached  after  the  Death  of  Philip  Augustus 
Whittemore,  1841. 

A  Sermon  delivered  before  the  Legislature  of  Massachu- 
setts at  the  Annual  Election,  1841. 

An  Address  at  the  Consecration  of  the  New  Cemetery  at 
West  Cambridge,  1843. 

He  published  also,  in  the  newspapers  of  the  day, 
a  notice  of  the  Rev.  William  Gray  Swett,  a  poem 
delivered  at  West  Cambridge,  and  various  other 
minor  productions  of  his  pen. 

To  this  list  of  publications,  it  may  be  added 
that  he  was  one  of  the  founders  of  "  the  Harvard 
Lyceum,"  a  periodical  —  we  believe  the  first  of  its 
kind  —  to  which  he  contributed  many  interesting 
articles,  published  in  1810  and  1811,  supported 
chiefly  by  the  class  which  graduated  in  the  latter 
year. 

REV.  LEMUEL   CAPEN,   STERLING. 

The  youngest  of  the  four  original  members  of  the 
Lancaster  Association  was  Rev.  Lemuel  Capen,  for  a 
short  time  the  minister  of  the  First  Congregational 


204  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

Church  and  Society  in  Sterling.  He  was  present  at 
the  organization  of  the  Association;  and,  so  long 
as  he  remained  in  Sterling,  he  was  an  active  and 
efficient  member.  He  was  a  man  of  a  robust  con- 
stitution, somewhat  above  the  medium  size,  of  a 
benignant  and  cheerful  aspect,  blest  with  uninter- 
rupted health  and  uncommon  elasticity  of  spirits. 
Without  any  pretensions  to  genius  or  uncommon 
gifts,  he  was  a  sound  theologian,  an  earnest  and 
acceptable  preacher,  a  pleasant  companion,  a  faithful 
friend,  an  honest,  trustworthy  man.  My  acquaint- 
ance with  him  began  in  college,  was  continued 
through  a  course  of  preparatory  studies  in  Cam- 
bridge, renewed  during  his  ministry  in  Sterling, 
and  ripened  into  a  friendship  which  lasted  through 
life. 

His  connection  with  the  Association  he  regarded 
as  a  high  privilege.  "  I  can  speak,"  he  says,  in  a 
letter  to  the  writer,  Jan.  21,  1856,  "in  the  strongest 
terms  of  the  satisfactions  I  enjoyed,  and  the  benefits 
I  received,  by  my  intercourse  with  that  Association. 
And  among  the  very  painful  circumstances  of  leaving 
Sterling  was  my  separation  from  those  good  men, 
to  whom  I  had  become  greatly  attached.  Our  inter- 
course was  truly  cordial,  fraternal,  Christian." 

Mr.  Capen  was  born  in  Dorchester,  Nov.  25, 
1789,  and  was  the  son  of  John  and  Patience 
(Davis)  Capen.  "After  enjoying  such  advantages 
of  early  education  as  his  native  village  and  the 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  205 

adjoining  town  of  Milton  then  afforded,  he  was  at 
length,  in  order  to  be  fitted  for  college,  placed  under 
the  charge  of  Rev.  Peter  Whitney,  of  Quincy,  for 
whom  he  ever  afterwards  entertained  feelings  of 
unabated  esteem,  and  of  whom  he  wrote  an  obituary 
notice  for  the  '  Christian  Register,'  soon  after  his  death 
in  1843."  He  entered  Harvard  College  in  1806, 
and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1810,  in  which  he 
held  a  respectable  rank.  Among  his  classmates  were 
Judge  Willard  Phillips,  Hon.  Joseph  G.  Kendall, 
James  Gore  King,  Octavius  Pickering,  Theodore 
Lyman,  and  others  more  or  less  distinguished  for 
their  public  services  or  their  private  virtues. 

Having  deliberately  made  choice  of  a  profession, 
he  entered  on  a  course  of  theological  studies  at 
Cambridge,  under  the  superintendence  of  President 
Kirkland,  Professors  Henry  Ware,  sen.,  and  Sidney 
Willard,  with  whom  was  associated,  the  latter  part 
of  the  time,  that  accurate  scholar  and  accomplished 
theologian,  Andrews  Norton,  who  subsequently  ren- 
dered so  important  a  service  to  the  Divinity  School 
and  the  cause  of  biblical  learning. 

"  He  often  spoke  of  the  satisfaction  he  felt  in 
regard  to  his  intercourse  with  Dr.  Ware,  sen.,  and 
of  the  depth  of  his  obligation  to  him  in  particular 
for  the  advantages  of  that  season  of  preparation  for 
the  ministry." 

Having  finished  his  course  of  study  at  Cambridge, 
he  offered  himself  as  a  candidate  for  settlement ; 


206  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

and  he  was  ordained  in  Sterling,  March  22,  1815, 
at  the  age  of  twenty- six.  He  was  the  immediate 
successor  of  Rev.  Reuben  Holcomb,  who,  after  his 
dismission,  continued  to  reside  in  the  town,  till  the 
time  of  his  death.  The  society  over  which  Mr. 
Capen  was  ordained  pastor  was  quite  large,  con- 
sisting of  nearly  all  the  families  in  the  place.  He 
was,  in  fact,  the  minister  of  the  town  ;  all  the  eccle- 
siastical and  all  the  secular  interests  of  the  society 
being  in  the  hands,  and  at  the  disposal,  of  the  citi- 
zens at  large. 

The  initiatory  step  towards  the  settlement  of  a 
minister  was,  it  is  true,  commonly  taken  by  the 
church-members,  whose  action,  however,  had  no  legal 
force,  till  confirmed  by  a  vote  of  the  town,  at  a  regu- 
lar meeting  called  for  the  purpose. 

The  salary  of  the  minister  was  assessed,  like  any 
other  tax,  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  not  other- 
wise legally  discharged,  and  collected  and  paid  over 
by  the  town  treasurer. 

The  great  meeting-house  in  Sterling,  with  gal- 
leries on  three  sides,  afterwards  destroyed  by  fire, 
was  not  too  large  for  the  accommodation  of  those 
who  attended  public  worship.  The  whole  front 
gallery  was  occupied  by  the  choir,  which  in  Sterling, 
at  the  time  spoken  of,  was  very  large,  and  composed 
of  some  of  the  finest  voices  it  has  ever  been  my 
privilege  to  hear. 

Such  was  the   society  to  the  pastoral  charge  of 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  207 

which  our  young  brother  was  called.  He  filled  the 
place  well  and  acceptably ;  but,  with  a  growing 
family,  he  found  his  salary  quite  inadequate  to  his 
necessities,  and,  believing  it  could  not  be  increased 
without  causing  division  in  a  hitherto  united  parish, 
he  resigned  his  charge,  June  21,  1819,  having  re- 
tained it  but  little  more  than  four  years.  I  have 
never  understood  that  there  was  any  disaffection 
among  his  people,  or  any  wish  on  their  part  to  have 
the  connection  dissolved ;  but  yet  they  made  no 
effort,  I  believe,  to  retain  his  services,  probably 
through  the  same  fear  of  division  which  prevented 
him  from  asking  for  an  increase  of  salary. 

"  The  reasons  for  this  separation  are  set  forth  in 
the  documents  published  with  his  'Farewell  Ser- 
mon '  (a  second  edition  of  which  was  printed),  bear- 
ing testimony  to  the  good  feeling  subsisting  between 
him  and  the  parish,  and  their  mutual  satisfaction 
with  one  another  as  pastor  and  people.  He  ever  held 
them  in  affectionate  remembrance,  and  was  always 
happy  when  an  opportunity  was  granted  him  of 
visiting  them  from  time  to  time,  and  preaching  to 
them." 

Of  the  following  twenty  years  of  his  life,  he  gives, 
in  a  letter  to  the  writer,  the  following  succinct 
account :  "  Removed  to  Dorchester,  and  from  March, 
1819,  to  November,  1822,  was  employed  there  in 
teaching  a  private  school,  and  supplying  vacant 
pulpits,  in  the  neighborhood,  as  opportunity  offered. 


208  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

In  the  autumn  of  1822,  during  the  sickness  of  their 
temporary  minister,  Rev.  Zephaniah  Wood,  who  was 
also  master  of  the  public  school  at  South  Boston, 
I  was  asked  to  supply  the  pulpit  of  the  Hawes- 
place  Society.  At  the  decease  of  Mr.  Wood,  I  was 
appointed  master  of  the  school ;  and  continued  in 
that  employ  about  four  years,  at  the  same  time 
preaching  to  the  society.  On  the  29th  of  January, 
1823,  I  was  invited  to  become  pastor  of  said  society, 
and  consented.  But,  on  account  of  my  connection 
with  the  school,  my  installation  was  deferred  till 
the  autumn  of  1827,  when  the  call  was  unanimously 
renewed;  and  the  installation  took  place  Oct.  31, 
1827.  My  pastoral  relation  to  the  society  was  dis- 
solved June  22,  1839."  Up  to  the  time  of  his 
installation,  as  we  learn,  he  received  little  or  no 
compensation  from  the  society,  but  had  a  small 
salary  of  five  hundred  dollars,  as  master  of  the 
public  grammar  school.  With  this  inadequate  com- 
pensation, and  the  profits  of  a  few  acres  which  he 
skilfully  cultivated  with  his  own  hands,  he  sup- 
ported a  large  and  growing  family  for  several  years. 

From  1827,  his  means  were  enlarged,  so  that,  by 
rigid  economy,  he  was  able  to  give  four  of  his  sons 
a  collegiate  education ;  a  proof  of  the  estimation  in 
which  he  held  good  learning,  as  well  as  of  the  self- 
sacrificing  parental  love  which  prompted  such  action. 

After  his  dismission,  he  continued  to  reside  in 
South  Boston,  finding  grateful  employment  in  the 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  209 

cultivation  of  his  land  and  in  literary  pursuits, 
preaching  occasionally  in  neighboring  pulpits,  and 
in  discharging  the  duties  of  public  and  private  life 
to  which  he  was  called. 

Twice,  viz.  in  1836  and  in  1847,  he  was  chosen  a 
representative  to  the  State  Legislature;  and  in  1845 
he  was  employed  for  one  year  as  a  missionary  to 
the  poor  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  where  he  labored 
with  diligence,  and  where  his  services  were  appre- 
ciated, as  the  documents  appended  to  his  first  quar- 
terly report  amply  prove. 

The  latter  years  of  his  life  he  spent  in  honorable 
retirement  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  finding  pleas- 
ure and  profit  in  the  cultivation  of  his  grounds, 
taking  an  interest  in  the  affairs  of  church  and  state, 
and  occasionally  writing  for  the  public  papers.  His 
habits  were  domestic,  and  to  him  no  place  was  so  dear 
as  home.  He  was  of  an  affectionate  disposition,  and 
his  affections  clustered  around  the  domestic  hearth 
and  altar. 

He  loved  the  ministry.  It  was  his  chosen  pro- 
fession ;  and  his  interest  in  it,  and  in  his  ministerial 
brethren,  especially  those  who  belonged  to  the  same 
household  of  faith  with  himself,  was  strong,  and 
continued  without  abatement  to  the  last.  Liberal 
Christianity  had  in  him  a  firm  friend  and  an  enlight- 
ened advocate ;  and,  while  his  charity  was  wide  and 
comprehensive,  it  was  discriminating  and  just.  He 

not  only  spoke  the  truth  with  love,  but  he  refuted 

14 


210  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

error  and  rebuked  wrong  without  acrimony  or  ill- 
will. 

So  early  as  1813,  while  yet  a  resident  graduate 
at  Cambridge,  he  prepared  a  pamphlet  of  fifty  pages, 
published  without  his  name,  relating  to  a  contro- 
versy in  the  Second  Church  in  Dorchester,  growing 
out  of  the  refusal  of  its  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  Codman, 
to  hold  ministerial  intercourse  with  certain  mem- 
bers of  the  Boston  Association.  The  title  of  the 
pamphlet  was,  "  A  Memorial  of  the  Proprietors 
of  the  New  South  Meeting-house  in  Dorchester 
to  the  Ministers  of  the  Boston  Association ; "  a 
recent  perusal  of  which  fully  justifies  the  commen- 
dation bestowed  upon  it  by  the  leading  Orthodox 
periodical  of  the  day,  which  speaks  of  it  as  a 
document  "  written  with  more  than  ordinary  care 
and  ability."  The  controversy  resulted  in  the  for- 
mation of  a  new  society,  —  the  Third  Congregational 
Society  in  Dorchester  (Rev.  T.  J.  Mumford's). 
Again,  after  an  interval  of  more  than  forty  years, 
he  prepared  an  able  and  elaborate  article,  "  On  Dr. 
Codman,  and  the  Second  Church  in  Dorchester," 
contained  in  the  "  Christian  Examiner  "  for  Septem- 
ber, 1855,  which  may  be  regarded  as  the  deliberate 
judgment  of  a  wise  and  honest  and  fair-minded 
man,  on  the  merits  of  a  controversy  now  nearly 
forgotten,  but  which  at  the  time  excited  not  a  little 
interest  in  the  ecclesiastical  world. 

Besides  the  publications  already  mentioned,   Mr. 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION. 

Capen  was  the  writer  of  a  good  practical  sermon 
on  the  "  Religious  Education  of  Children,"  con- 
tained in  the  "Liberal  Preacher"  for  June,  1831, 
and  of  a  "  Discourse  on  the  Character  of  Mr.  John 
Hawes,"  preached  Feb.  1,  1829,  the  Sunday  after 
the  funeral  of  his  excellent  friend,  whose  name  is 
honorably  associated  with  the  society  to  which  he 
ministered.  He  was  also  the  writer,  as  we  learn,  "  of 
several  biographical  notices  of  ministers,  and  of  old 
residents  in  South  Boston,"  as  well  as  of  valuable 
articles  published  in  "  The  New-England  Farmer." 

Of  his  last  days  on  earth,  we  give  the  account 
furnished  us  by  one  of  his  sons :  "  He  died  of  con- 
sumption undoubtedly,  although  no  one  who  had 
known  him  would  have  considered  him  a  subject 
for  that  disease.  He  was,  on  the  contrary,  consid- 
ered very  robust  for  a  professional  man.  I  never 
knew  him,  but  in  a  single  instance,  to  be  obliged  to 
suspend  preaching  on  account  of  illness.  .  .  .  In- 
deed, he  was  accustomed,  late  in  life,  to  speak  of 
his  uninterrupted  good  health  as  a  blessing  for 
which  he  was  most  devoutfully  thankful.  Some  time 
in  the  year  185G  (I  think),  on  taking  a  sudden  cold, 
that  which,  for  twenty  years,  had  assumed  the  form 
of  catarrh,  seemed  to  settle  upon  his  lungs,  being 
succeeded  by  a  wearing  cough  and  difficult  respira- 
tion. From  this  time,  he  gradually  but  perceptibly 
failed.  .  .  .  His  mind  and  memory  seemed  giving 
way  in  the  spring  of  1858.  lie  abandoned  all  at 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION. 

once,  and  with  a  sentence  incomplete,  his  diary  of 
passing  events,  which  he  had  regularly  kept  for 
more  than  thirty  years.  He  attended  Commence- 
ment for  the  fifty-sixth  time,  just  before  his  death. 
I  think  you  saw  him  on  that  occasion,  and  perhaps 
may  have  been  surprised  that  he  should  be  there, 
seemingly  so  feeble.  But  it  was  his  wish  to  go  : 
it  had  been  his  constant  habit  from  boyhood ;  and, 
though  perhaps  the  day  might  have  passed  by  with- 
out his  being  aware  of  it,  still  we  could  not  withhold 
from  him  such  a  gratification.  He  kept  about  house 
till  two  days  before  he  died.  His  strong  religious 
faith,  which  all  through  life  had  sustained  him,  did 
not  desert  him  in  the  end.  He  had  never  any 
gloomy  fears  or  misgivings  in  relation  to  the  future, 
but  looked  upon  death  rather  as  the  '  open  door ' 
to  a  new  and  more  glorious  life.  During  his  last 
night  on  earth,  his  mind  wandered  much  :  but  he 
appeared  to  know,  at  times,  those  who  stood  around 
his  bed  ;  would  at  times  attempt  to  speak,  but  could 
hardly  make  himself  understood.  Towards  the  close, 
he  said  with  considerable  distinctness,  *  To-day  I 

shall  be  where  glory ' Here  his  strength  failed, 

and  the  sentence  was  not  completed.  But  we  can 
hardly  doubt  as  to  what  was  passing  in  his  mind. 
He  seemed,  while  laboring  for  breath,  and  appa- 
rently in  great  bodily  distress,  to  be  favored,  now 
and  then,  with  a  glimpse  of  what  was  *  within  the 
veil,'  '  across  the  narrow  stream  of  death.' " 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

And  so  he  passed  on  to  join  the  goodly  company 
of  the  "  sons  of  God "  who  have  gone  to  their 
reward,  where,  in  ""the  house  of  many  mansions," 
we  who  are  left  behind,  if  we  hold  fast  our  faith 
without  wavering,  may  hope  to  meet  our  brother 
again. 

"  He  enjoyed  eminently,"  says  the  writer  of  an 
admirable  obituary  notice,  published  in  the  "  Regis- 
ter "  for  Oct.  2,  1858,  "  the  fellowship  of  his  minis- 
terial brothers.  No  one  was  more  constant  than 
he  at  the  '  ministers'  meetings.'  No  one  was  more 
punctual  at  the  '  Thursday  Lecture,'  even  after  that 
time-hallowed  institution  had  ceased  to  be  hallowed 
by  much  else,  and  when  the  rooms  and  the  book- 
store proved  more  attractive  than  the  church  to  the 
gathering  clergy  of  that  famous  old  day."  We 
heartily  join  in  the  sentiment  of  the  closing  para- 
graph :  "  Associate  for  so  many  years  in  a  sacred 
profession,  where  the  able  are  infirm,  and  the  best 
cannot  always  be  commended  !  we  dismiss  you  from 
us,  in  the  full  confidence  that  you  have  not  gone 
into  any  worse  society." 

Mr.  Capen  was  married,  Oct.  11,  1815,  to  Mary 
Ann  Hunting,  daughter  of  Asa  and  Abigail  (Blaney) 
Hunting,  of  Roxbury.  They  had  six  sons  and  three 
daughters  ;  the  two  oldest  sons  being  born  in  Ster- 
ling, the  others  in  Dorchester  and  Boston.  Six  of 
these  nine,  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  with  their 
mother,  are  still  living.  They  are, — 


214  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

1.  Francis  L.  Capen,  clergyman,  resides  in  Boston. 

2.  John,  also  resides  in  Boston. 

3.  Edward,  librarian  of  the  Boston  Public  Library. 

4.  Charles  J.,  teacher  in  the  public  Latin  School, 
Boston.     His  residence  is  in  Dedham. 

5.  Barnard,  secretary  of  the  Boston  School  Com- 
mittee. 

6.  Jane,  married  Jesse  Harding,  druggist,  Boston. 
The  names  of  the  three  not  living  are,  — 

7.  Mary  Ann,  died  in  Boston,  Nov.  7,  1844. 

8.  Sarah  Hawes,  died  Oct.  22,  1844. 

9.  Eliphalet  Porter,  died  Nov.  19,  1835. 
Mrs.  Capen  still  survives,  and  lives  in  Boston. 

REV.  SAMUEL   CLARKE. 

"  A  beloved  brother,  and  faithful  minister  in  the 
Lord,"  was  the  text  of  a  commemorative  discourse 
preached  to  the  bereaved  flock  of  this  excellent  man, 
a  few  weeks  after  his  death,  by  his  relative  and 
friend,  Rev.  Dr.  Hill,  of  Worcester.  Fitter  words 
could  not  have  been  chosen ;  and  there  are  few  to 
whom  they  more  justly  apply  than  to  him  whose 
name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  sketch.  During  the 
fifteen  years  that  he  remained  pastor  of  the  First 
Church  in  Princeton,  he  was  an  active  member,, 
first  of  the  Lancaster,  and  then  of  the  Worcester 
Association  as  now  organized.  And  from  the  com- 
mencement of  his  ministry  in  Uxbridge  till  his 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION.  215 

death  in  November,  1859,  though,  on  account  of  the 
distance,  he  declined  an  active  participation  in  the 
doings  of  the  Association,  he  did  not  lose  his  inter- 
est in  the  body ;  and  with  some  of  the  brethren  he 
maintained  habits  of  intimacy  even  to  the  last. 
Occasionally  he  attended  our  meetings ;  and  his 
presence  was  always  greeted  with  a  cordial  welcome. 
While  an  active  member,  he  was  seldom  absent, 
and  never  without  a  good  and  sufficient  reason ; 
and,  though  not  a  man  of  many  words,  what  he 
said  was  judicious,  pertinent,  and  sound. 

To  the  writer  he  was  endeared  by  habits  of  in- 
timacy through  the  long  period  of  more  than  forty 
years,  and  by  a  substantial  harmony  of  religious 
views.  We  were  nearly  of  the  same  age ;  we  pur- 
sued our  theological  studies  at  the  same  time,  and 
under  influences  very  much  alike.  There  was  an 
interval  of  but  a  few  months  between  the  com- 
mencement of  our  respective  ministries.  We  were 
members  of  the  same  Association ;  and  there  was  a 
frequent  interchange  of  ministerial  and*  social  visits 
at  each  other's  houses. 

In  the  notice  which  is  subjoined,  while  I  shall 
studiously  abstain  from  the  language  of  indiscrimi- 
nate eulogy,  I  cannot  —  I  do  not  wish  to  —  forget  that 
the  subject  of  my  remarks  was  a  personal  friend.  I 
shall  not,  however,  rely  solely  on  my  own  impres- 
sions, in  the  judgment  I  form  and  the  character  I 
give  of  our  beloved  brother.  I  shall  avail  myself 


216  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

of  the  privilege,  kindly  allowed  me,  of  giving  ex- 
tracts from  the  commemorative  discourse  of  Dr. 
Hill,  who  is  better  qualified,  probably,  than  any 
other  person  to  portray  the  character  of  our  com- 
mon friend. 

Mr.  Clarke  was  born  in  New  Boston,  N.H.,  April 
21,  1791,  and  was  the  son  of  Ninian  Clarke,  "a 
man  of  large  sympathies  and  a  noble  spirit,  trusted 
by  every  one,  and  famed  all  the  country  around  for 
his  unflinching  integrity."  He  was  of  Scotch  de- 
scent ;  one  of  his  ancestors  having  belonged  to  a 
company  of  emigrants,  who,  flying  from  persecution 
at  home,  had  formed  settlements  in  the  mountainous 
region  on  the  south-eastern  borders  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

"The  tradition  of  his  family  is,"  we  are  told, 
"  that,  in  childhood,  he  was  set  apart  for  the  minis- 
try;* and  never  thought,  himself,  of  being  any  thing 
else."  Nor  can  we  doubt  that  this  early  act  of  self- 
consecration  had  a  great  and  lasting  influence  on  his 
life  and  character.  It  may  have  been  the  hinge  on 
which  his  future  destiny  turned. 

With  this  leading  object  in  view,  he  looked  to  a 
collegiate  education  as  the  best  means  of  qualifying 
himself  for  the  office  of  a  Christian  minister.  Taking 
leave  of  the  home  of  his  childhood,  he  pursued  his 
preparatory  studies  under  the  care  of  Rev.  Mr. 

*  "  Set  apart,"  not  by  any  formal  act,  only  considered  as  destined  to 
the  ministry. 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  217 

Beede,    of  Wilton,  N.H.,  and   entered   Dartmouth 
College,  graduating  with  the  class  of  1812. 

On  leaving  college,  he  repaired  to  Boston,  and 
entered  on  a  course  of  theological  studies,  under 
Rev.  Dr.  William  E.  Channing,  whose  character  he 
admired,  and  whose  friendship  he  enjoyed.  Under 
the  instructions  of  this  eminent  man,  and  the  influ- 
ences of  the  Boston  pulpit,  then  in  its  glory,  under 
the  administration  of  such  men  as  Freeman,  Chan- 
ning, Thatcher,  Lowell,  and  Ware ;  living,  too,  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  University,  then  under  the 
administration  of  President  Kirkland,  and  holding 
intercourse  with  the  noble  band  of  young  men  at 
that  time  preparing  for  the  ministry  under  the 
direction  of  President  Kirkland  and  Professors 
Ware  and  Willard  and  Andrews  Norton,  —  he  en- 
joyed advantages  hardly  inferior  to  those  furnished 
by  the  best  theological  schools.  It  was  my  own 
good  fortune  to  be  one  of  the  number ;  and  the 
names  of  Everett,  Frothingham,  Damon,  Oilman, 
Prentiss,  associated  with  the  names  of  other  fellow- 
students  of  earlier  classes  still  continuing  their 
theological  studies  in  the  shades  of  their  Alma 
Mater,  —  as  Charles  Eliot,  Thomas  B.  English,  Lem- 
uel Capen,  Cyrus  Peirce,  and  others,  —  recall  some 
of  the  happiest  scenes  and  most  valuable  experiences 
of  my  life.  The  saintly  and  gifted  John  E.  Abbot, 
too,  for  a  brief  period  the  almost  idolized  minister 
of  the  North  Church,  Salem,  was  a  friend  and  fellow- 


218  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

student  of  Mr.  Clarke ;  and  Henry  Ware,  jun.,  also 
was  just  entering  on  a  course  of  studies  at  Cam- 
bridge, preparatory  to  his  short  but  devoted  and 
most  successful  ministry.* 

Having  received  approbation,  he  was.  invited  to 
supply  the  pulpit  in  Princeton,  Mass.,  made  vacant  by 
the  resignation  of  Professor  Murdock,  of  Andover. 
The  pulpit  had  hitherto  been  occupied,  for  a  series 
of  years,  exclusively  by  a  minister  of  Calvinistic  or 
Orthodox  views ;  and,  under  such  circumstances,  it 
was  not  to  be  expected  that  all  would  be  united  in 
the  choice  of  a  minister  who  came  to  them  under 
the  auspices  of  a  man  like  Dr.  Channing,  who  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  champions  of  the  Liberal 
school  of  theology.  A  large  majority,  however, 
of  the  society  united  in  giving  Mr.  Clarke  a  call, 
which  he  accepted ;  and  his  ordination  took  place 
June  18,  1817,  the  remonstrance  of  the  church 
against  his  settlement  being  overruled  by  the  ordain- 
ing council.  The  remonstrants  seceded,  and  formed 
a  new  church,  while  those  who  remained  gave  their 
minister  a  cordial  welcome  ;  and  with  few,  if  any, 
exceptions,  stood  by  him  as  friends  and  fellow- 

*  In  a  letter  to  the  writer  of  the  date  of  Feb.  4,  1856,  speaking  of  an 
article  in  the  "Christian  Examiner"  for  January,  "  On  the  Unitarian 
Controversy,"  he  says:  "  I  am  very  glad  to  have  the  subject  opened  so 
ably,  and  think  the  promised  discussion,  if  conducted  in  the  same  spirit, 
will  do  great  good.  The  article  reviews,"  he  adds,  "  what  was  of  much 
interest  to  myself  forty  and  fifty  years  since;  for  I  very  early  became 
a  heretic,  renouncing  Calvinism,  although  educated  strictly  as  a  Pres- 
byterian." 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  219 

helpers  to  the  last.  His  preaching  was  from  the 
first,  and  uniformly,  serious,  earnest,  affectionate ;  in 
the  true  sense  of  a  much-abused  term,  evangelical. 

"I  have  ever  regarded  him,"  says  Dr.  Hill,  "as 
a  man  eminently  conscientious  and  devoted ;  with 
whom  the  spiritual  world  was  near,  its  concerns  an 
ever-present,  a  momentous  reality ;  and  who,  in  the 
ministerial  office,  felt  a  weight  of  responsibleness 
pressing  upon  his  thought,  prompting  his  language, 
and  spreading  a  look  of  unwonted  gravity  upon  his 
countenance.  ...  I  do  not  think  he  was  ever  be- 
trayed into  light  and  frivolous  talk.  Although  he 
could  relax  at  the  agreeable  sally,  he  was  serious 
beyond  most  men.  Although  he  could  unbosom 
himself  in  the  freedom  of  private  friendship,  he  was 
habitually  contemplative  and  reserved ;  loving  most 
to  commune  with  his  own  thoughts,  and  to  be  en- 
gaged in  the  especial  duties  of  his  calling." 

At  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  in  Princeton, 
owing  to  the  secession  of  a  large  part  of  the  church- 
members,  the  communion  table  was  surrounded  by 
a  very  small  number  of  guests ;  but  he  had  the 
gratification  of  welcoming,  from  time  to  time,  large 
accessions,  so  that  he  had  little  occasion  to  mourn, 
with  many  of  his  brethren,  that  so  few  came  to  the 
holy  feast.  In  this  connection,  I  present  another 
extract  from  Dr.  Hill's  commemorative  discourse  : 
"  The  evidence  which  came  to  him,  from  time  to 
time,  of  his  usefulness  in  Princeton,  where  he  had 


220  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

spent  fifteen  years  of  the  very  flower  of  his  life, 
was  among  the  most  grateful.  He  knew  that  he 
had  left  impressions  there,  and  was  glad  when  he 
heard  of  it.  In  a  conversation  which  I  had  with 
him  not  long  before  his  death,  he  told  me  that  few- 
things  had  ever  afforded  him  such  pure  satisfaction 
as  what  he  had  just  learned  from  his  successor  of 
another  denomination,  the  clergyman  of  that  place. 
He  had  just  come  from  the  dying  bed  of  a  respected 
officer  of  his  church.  He  had  known  him  well,  and 
could  bear  testimony  to  the  purity  and  blameless- 
ness  of  his  life.  He  had  witnessed  his  exalted  Chris- 
tian character ;  and  now,  as  he  stood  by,  he  had  seen 
his  countenance  lighted  up  with  ineffable  peace,  and 
heard  his  voice  whispering  in  tones  of  triumph, 
'  Tell  Mr.  Clarke,  if  you  ever  see  him,  that  for  the 
first  thought  of  religion,  for  the  source  of  life's 
purest  satisfaction,  for  the  tranquillity  of  this  hour, 
under  God,  I  am  indebted  to  him.' '' 

After  a  useful  ministry  of  fifteen  years,  in  conse- 
quence of  impaired  health,  he  asked  a  dismission 
from  his  pastoral  care,  which  was  granted,  June  18, 
1832,  just  fifteen  years,  to  a  day,  from  the  date  of  his 
ordination. 

After  a  respite  of  a  few  months,  he  accepted  an 
invitation  to  preach  in  Uxbridge,  and  was  installed 
as  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  and 
Society  in  that  town,  Jan.  9,  1833  ;  which  office  he 
held  to  the  day  of  his  death. 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  221 

On  entering  this  new  field,  he  found  himself  sur- 
rounded and  sustained  by  a  band  of  earnest  and 
devoted  men  and  women,  who  gave  him  their  sym- 
pathy, their  confidence,  and  their  affectionate  respect. 
I  well  remember  the  company  of  aged  and  venerable 
men,  some  of  whom  had  passed  the  bounds  of  four- 
score years,  who  occupied  the  front  seat  of  the  old 
meeting-house,  and  who  continued  their  regular 
attendance  on  the  services  of  the  temple  till  com- 
pelled by  physical  inability  to  withdraw.  It  was  a 
beautiful  spectacle,  and  one  that  often  rises  up  before 
me,  as  I  call  to  mind  our  annual  exchanges. 

Nor  must  I  omit  to  speak  of  the  peculiar  felicity 
of  his  domestic  relations.  He  was  married,  Sept. 
13,  1819,  to  Sarah  Wigglesworth,  of  Newburyport. 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Charlotte  Wigglesworth, 
and  grand-daughter  of  Colonel  Edward  Wiggles- 
worth,  an  officer  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and 
intimately  associated  with  Washington.  Colonel  Wig- 
glesworth was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Rev.  Michael 
Wigglesworth,  author  of  the  quaint  old  poem,  en- 
titled "  The  Day  of  Doom."  That  kind  Providence 
"  that  shapes  our  ends,"  brought  together  these  kin- 
dred souls,  and  led  to  a  union  for  which  he  never 
ceased  to  be  thankful,  and  which  contributed  in  no 
small  measure  to  his  happiness  and  his  professional 
success. 

Mrs.  Clarke  proved  in  every  way  fitted  for  the 
station  she  filled  with  so  much  grace  and  dignity. 


222  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

To  natural  gifts  of  a  high  order,  she  united  a  rich 
intellectual  culture,  with  easy  and  peculiarly  winning 
manners.  She  had,  previous  to  her  marriage,  taught 
a  school  for  young  ladies,  in  which  capacity  she  had 
gained  a  high  reputation ;  and  all  these  gifts  and 
graces  she  brought  with  her  into  her  new  home,  and 
consecrated  them  all  to  the  service  of  her  husband, 
her  children,  and  the  community  in  which  they 
lived. 

"  Gifted  with  genius,"  Dr.  Hill  writes,  "  refined 
tastes,  and  an  active  intellect,  Mrs.  Clarke  could  not 
fail  to  win  to  her  home  even  those  whom  no  paro- 
chial ties  could  have  drawn  thither.  She  was  a 
woman  to  win ;  for  she  combined,  to  a  rare  extent, 
large  mental  endowments  with  a  capacity  for  the 
homeliest  duties."  With  but  scanty  means,  she 
managed  her  domestic  affairs  with  so  much  skill  and 
with  so  little  ado,  that  the  occasional  visitor  would 
not  suspect,  what  was  nevertheless  true,  that  all  the 
work  of  the  family,  even  the  most  menial  and  dis- 
tasteful, was  done  by  her  own  hands  or  those  of  her 
daughters. 

Seldom  has  it  been  our  lot  to  witness  scenes  of 
domestic  felicity  more  attractive  than  that  exhibited 
in  the  home  over  which  our  brother  presided,  and 
of  which  his  companion  was  a  chief  ornament.  It 
was  a  foreshadowing  of  those  brighter  scenes 
which  are  unfolded  only  to  the  vision  of  glorified 
spirits. 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION.  223 

At  length,  after  a  union  of  thirty-seven  years,  the 
time  of  parting  came.  The  event  took  place  Sept. 
8,  1856. 

In  a  communication  to  the  writer  of  these  sketches, 
Mr.  Clarke  writes :  "  Her  sickness  was  borne  with 
wonderful  cheerfulness;  her  departure  was  long  an- 
ticipated with  perfect  composure ;  and,  in  the  closing 
scene,  she  illustrated  strikingly  the  peaceful  triumph 
of  our  blessed  faith.  Her  disease,  in  its  whole  progress 
and  termination,  was  like  that  of  Mary  Ware.  You 
may  well  say,  that  '  my  loss  is  irreparable.'  It  is  so. 
The  light  of  my  house  is  extinguished.  But  I  do  not 
complain.  The  memories  of  the  past  are  delightful ; 
and  the  anticipations  of  the  future  are  comforting, 
strengthening,  and  cheering." 

"  After  the  death  of  his  wife,"  we  are  told,  "  Mr. 
Clarke  resumed  his  duties  with  unwonted  vigor.  .  .  . 
But  this  could  not  last.  The  blow  which  had  fallen 
left  a  wound  that  time  could  not  heal.  Always  frail, 
his  whole  life  interrupted  by  frequent  sicknesses,  he 
could  bear  the  strain  upon  his  faculties  no  longer." 
On  a  Sunday  of  July,  1859,  while  in  the  midst  of 
his  discourse,  he  fell  exhausted  to  the  floor  of  the 
pulpit,  and  was  conveyed  to  his  house  in  a  state  of 
great  feebleness.  On  the  following  Sunday,  I  offi- 
ciated in  his  place,  and,  while  together,  had  much 
conversation  on  the  scenes  of  former  days,  and  the 
friends  who  had  passed  on.  I  saw  him  once  for  a 
few  moments  after  this,  but  only  to  exchange  brief 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 


salutations.  The  time  of  his  departure  was  drawing 
near,  and  it  came  suddenly  at  last.  On  Saturday, 
Nov.  19,  he  saw  the  last  of  earth;  and,  in  obedience 
to  his  Master's  call,  he  went  up  higher.  He  died 
ripe  in  years,  rich  in  Christian  experience,  rich  in 
the  treasures  that  gold  cannot  purchase,  laid  up 
"  where  moth  and  rust  do  not  corrupt,  and  where 
thieves  cannot  break  through  nor  steal." 

His  funeral  was  attended  by  a  large  concourse  of 
people  of  the  various  religious  societies  (in  Uxbridge). 
The  business  of  the  village  was  suspended  ;  the  stores 
were  closed  ;  and,  although  the  day  was  stormy,  the 
whole  community  seemed  to  wish  to  pay  their  last 
tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  a  good  man  and 
a  truly  Christian  minister.  It  was  well  remarked 
by  one  of  the  company  at  the  grave,  "  There  lies  a 
man  who  was  more  beloved  than  any  other  man 
in  the  town  of  Uxbridge." 

Jan.  10,  1858,  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  his 
installation,  Mr.  Clarke  preached  an  occasional  dis- 
course, which  was  published.  In  this  discourse, 
speaking  of  his  ministry  in  Princeton,  he  says  : 
"There  I  was  consecrated  to  the  responsible  duties 
of  the  Christian  pastor's  office.  There,  with  youthful 
vigor  and  earnestness,  I  entered  on  the  blessed  work 
to  which  I  had  devoted  my  life.  There  I  formed 
the  domestic  connection  which  was  so  long  the  light 
and  bliss  of  my  home,  and  whose  memory,  so  blessed, 
will  accompany  me  to  my  grave.  There  my  children 


LANCASTER   ASSOCIATION. 

were  born,  whom  a  kind  Father  has  thus  far  spared 
to  be  my  comfort  and  joy  in  my  declining  years, 
and  who,  I  may  frankly  and  gratefully  say,  have 
honored  their  father  and  mother.  There  I  formed 
friendships,  Christian  friendships,  which  death  will 
not  dissolve,  but  which  will,  I  trust,  be  perpetuated 
in  that  better  land,  which  is  the  home  of  all  the 
pure  and  good.  There  I  have  reason  to  believe 
that  my  ministry  was  not  without  healing,  saving 
efficacy  ;  for  I  know  that  many  who  have  '  passed 
on,'  in  their  last  peaceful  hours  looked  back  to  my 
ministrations  as  the  instrumentalities,  under  God,  of 
leading  them  to  Christ :  and  there  are  those  now 
there  who  always  greet  me,  when  we  meet,  as  their 
spiritual  father." 

After  a  review  of  the  twenty-five  years  he  had 
spent  in  Uxbridge,  he  thus  trustingly  speaks  of  the 
unknown  future  that  lay  before  him  :  — 

"  At  the  time  of  life  to  which  I  have  arrived,  and 
especially  with  my  impaired  constitution,  it  is  not 
wise  in  me  to  make  any  calculations  in  regard  to  the 
future.  I  have  been  gradually  and  gently  descend- 
ing these  twenty-five  years,  and  am  now  approaching 
the  foot  of  the  mountain.  How  soon  I  may  reach 
the  last  step  is  unknown.  If  God  has  yet  more 
work  for  me  to  do  in  his  vineyard,  I  will  strive 
cheerfully  to  do  it,  as  he  shall  give  me  health  and 

15 


226  LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

strength.  I  will  'not  count  my  life  dear  unto  my- 
self, so  that  I  may  finish  my  course  with  joy,  and  the 
ministry  which  I  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
to  testify  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.'  .  .  . 

"  The  time  may  have  arrived,  or  may  be  near, 
when  it  shall  be  expedient  for  you  that  I  retire,  and 
give  place  to  a  younger  and  more  vigorous  laborer 
in  the  vineyard.  If  so,  I  will  not,  for  a  moment, 
stand  in  the  way  of  a  more  efficient,  and,  it  may  be, 
successful  minister  of  Christ.  Years,  and  the  events 
they  have  witnessed,  and  the  changes  they  have 
wrought,  have  made  you  inexpressibly  dear  to  my 
heart;  and  my  attachments  here  are  as  strong  as 
life  :  but  such  are  my  convictions  of  the  importance 
of  an  efficient  ministry,  that  I  would  not  suffer  my 
own  feelings  or  wishes  to  lead  me  to  continue  my 
connection  with  you,  as  pastor,  after  my  usefulness 
was  essentially  diminished,  either  in  consequence  of 
impaired  intellect  or  continued  ill-health.  But  I 
leave  all  with  God.  His  will  be  done  !  " 

He  closes  his'  affectionate  address  with  words  of 
solemn  import,  well  befitting  the  occasion  :  — 

"  And  now,  my  friends,  I  commend  you  to  God, 
and  to  the  word  of  his  grace,  which  is  able  to  build 
you  up,  and  prepare  you  for  the  heavenly  inherit- 
ance. Live  in  peace  and  love,  and  the  God  of  peace 
will  be  with  you.  And  when  we  shall  stand,  pastor 
and  flock,  in  the  unveiled  presence  of  the  Infinite  and 


LANCASTER    ASSOCIATION. 

Holy  One,  may  I  be  able,  with  inexpressible  joy,  to 
say  of  you  all,  without  an  exception,  'Here,  Lord, 
am  I,  and  the  children  thou  hast  given  me ' ! " 

Mr.  Clarke  had  three  children,  one  son  and  two 
daughters,  all  of  whom  survived  their  father. 


WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION  (NEW). 


WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION  (NEW). 


'  I  ""HE  WORCESTER  ASSOCIATION,  as  now  consti- 
tuted, dates  back  to  the  year  1820,  and,  accord- 
ingly, has  nearly  completed  a  half-century.  It  was 
formed  by  a  union  of  the  Old  Worcester  Association, 
then  in  its  decrepitude,  and  of  the  Lancaster  Asso- 
ciation, then  in  the  freshness  and  vigor  of  youth, 
having  been  in  existence  scarcely  five  years. 

The  first  motion  towards  a  union  was  made  at  a 
meeting  of  the  Lancaster  Association  at  Lancaster, 
Nov.  17,  1819,  when  Dr.  Thayer  was  chosen  a 
committee  to  confer  with  Rev.  Dr.  Sumner,  Rev.  Dr. 
Bancroft,  and  Rev.  Ward  Cotton,  on  the  subject  of 
uniting  the  two  bodies.  At  a  subsequent  meeting 
of  the  Lancaster  Association  at  Northborough,  May 
18,  a  communication  from  the  Worcester  Associa- 
tion was  read  by  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft,  which  was  in 
the  following  terms  :  — 

"  At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Worcester  Asso- 
ciation of  Ministers,  holden  at  the  house  of  Rev. 


232  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NE\v). 

A.  Bancroft,  on  the  29th  of  April,  1820,  the  follow- 
ing resolutions  were  passed.  Representations  having 
been  made,  that  the  Lancaster  Association  is  dis- 
posed to  form  the  above-mentioned  societies  into  one 
body  on  the  conditions,  — 

"  First,  that  the  united  body  take  the  name  of  the 
Worcester  Association  ;  and,  secondly,  that  this  body 
adopt  the  Constitution  and  forms  of  the  Lancaster 
Association,  —  Voted,  That  this  Association,  with  high 
satisfaction,  hereby  manifest  a  disposition  to  comply 
with  the  aforenamed  conditions  of  union. 

"  Voted,  That  the  Scribe  be  a  committee  to  make 
communication  of  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting 
to  the  Lancaster  Association,  and  in  our  name  to 
invite  them  to  close  the  proposed  union. 

"  A.  BANCROFT,  Scribe. 
"WORCESTER,  May  17,  1820. 

"  The  following  vote  was  then  unanimously 
adopted  :  — 

"  Voted,  That  the  Lancaster  Association,  in  the 
hope,  that,  by  a  union  with  the  Worcester  Associa- 
tion, their  mutual  improvement  will  be  promoted, 
hereby  express  their  desire  to  close  with  the  terms 
to  which  that  body  have  consented." 

Only  three  members  of  the  Old  Worcester  Asso- 
ciation were  present  at  this  meeting :  viz.,  Eev. 
Joseph  Sumner,  D.D.,  of  Shrewsbury;  Rev.  Aaron 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  233 

Bancroft,  D.D.,  of  Worcester ;  and  Rev.  Ward  Cot- 
ton, of  Boylston,  —  the  other  members  never  having 
expressed  a  desire  to  join  the  new  Association. 

The  new  Association  was  composed  of  the  follow- 
ing brethren,  ten  in  number,  named  in  the  order  of 
college  seniority,  Rev.  Seth  Alden  having  joined  the 
Association  the  day  the  union  was  consummated  :  — 

Rev.  Joseph  Sumner,  D.D.    .  Shrewsbury       .     .  Y.C.  1 759. 

Rev.  Aaron  Bancroft,  D.D.    .  Worcester    .     .     .  H.C.  1778. 

Rev.  Nathaniel  Thayer,  D.D.  Lancaster     .     .     .  H.C.  1 789. 

Rev.  Ward  Cotton  ....  Boylston.     .     .     .  H.C.  1793. 

Rev.  Isaac  Allen      ....  Bolton      ....  H.C.  1 798. 

Rev.  David  Damon,  D.D.       .  Lunenburg   .     .     .  H.C.  1811. 

Rev.  Joseph  Allen,  D.D.  .     .  Northborough    .     .  H.C.  1811. 

Rev.  Samuel  Clarke     .     .     .  Princeton     .     .     .  D.C.  1812. 

Rev.  Peter  Osgood  ....  Sterling    ....  H.C.  1814- 

R«v.  Seth  Alden  *.     .     .     .  Maryborough     .     .  B.U.  1814. 

The  union  thus  consummated  proved  advanta- 
geous to  both  parties.  It  was  a  union  of  hearts  as 
well  as  of  hands.  All  the  members  were  united 
in  the  bonds  of  a  common  faith  and  a  true  fraternal 
affection.  Dr.  Thayer  gracefully  resigned  his  place 
of  moderator  to  his  senior,  Dr.  Bancroft,  who  from 
that  time  was  seldom  absent  from  our  meetings. 

O 

More  delightful  re-unions  than  were  the  meetings 
of  the  Worcester  Association  at  this  time,  I  have 
never  known ;  and  I  recall  them  with  feelings  of 

*  We  subjoin,  in  the  Appendix,  a  list  of  nil  who  have  since  become 
members  of  the  Worcester  Association,  in  the  order  of  time  in  which 
they  became  members,  together  with  the  years  of  their  graduation. 


234  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

deep  gratitude  for  the  valuable  helps  I  received  from 
them  in  the  early  part  of  my  ministry,  as  well  as 
for  the  opportunities  they  afforded  for  becoming 
intimately  acquainted  with  the  excellent  men  who 
then  occupied  the  neighboring  pulpits,  and  whose 
influence  is  felt  to  this  day. 

Whether  for  good  or  for  evil,  the  minister  half  a  cen- 
tury ago  held  a  more  commanding  position,  wielded 
more  ecclesiastical  and  secular  power,  than  now. 
With  the  exception  of  Dr.  Bancroft  and  Rev.  Seth 
Alden,  whose  respective  charges  were  made  up  of 
seceders  from  the  original  town  societies,  each  of  the 
members  of  the  Worcester  Association,  at  the  time  of 
its  organization,  was  the  minister  of  the  First  Con- 
gregational Church  and  Society  in  the  place  of  his 
settlement,  which  in  most  cases  comprised  nearly  all 
of  the  families  within  the  territorial  limits  of  the  town. 
Six  of  the  ten  —  viz.,  Dr.  Sumner,  Dr.  Thayer,  Rev. 
Mr.  Cotton,  Rev.  Mr.  Osgood,  and  the  two  Aliens 
—  were  ministers  of  the  towns  which  they  respectively 
represented ;  the  town  in  each  case,  as  a  corporation, 
being  responsible  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  contract 
into  which  it  had  entered  in  the  settlement  of  its 
minister.  The  salary  of  the  minister  was  assessed  like 
other  taxes,  according  to  property,  upon  the  citizens 
of  the  town.  Accordingly,  the  minister  was  expected 
to  visit  all  the  families  socially  as  a  neighbor,  and 
officially  as  a  pastor ;  to  know  all,  young  and  old,  by 
sight,  and  to  be  able  to  call  them  by  name  ;  to  officiate 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  235 

at  all  weddings  and  funerals ;  to  have  the  general 
charge  and  oversight,  in  conjunction  with  the  board 
of  selectmen,  of  the  public  schools  ;  occasionally  to 
draft  wills  and  deeds,  and  other  instruments  of  a  like 
nature ;  as  well  as  to  take  the  lead  in  all  measures  of 
reform,  and  in  all  plans  for  improving  the  physical, 
social,  or  moral  condition  of  the  people.  The  visita- 
tion of  the  sick  was  considered  almost  as  indispen- 
sable on  the  part  of  the  minister,  as  that  of  the 
family  physician;  and  any  remissness  or  neglect  in 
this  particular  was  reckoned  a  grievous  fault,  not 
easily  overlooked  or  forgotten. 

In  the  employment  of  teachers,  and  in  the  selec- 
tion of  class-books  for  the  schools ;  in  the  formation 
and  management  of  libraries ;  the  institution  of 
lyceums  and  social  circles,  or  sewing  societies,  for 
the  improvement  of  the  youth  of  both  sexes ;  in 
planting  trees  on  the  common,  and  by  the  roadside, 
for  shade  and  ornament ;  in  laying  out  and  beauti- 
fying grounds  for  rural  cemeteries ;  and  in  other 
labors,  quite  distinct  from  what  are  considered  the 
special  and  appropriate  duties  of  a  pastor,  —  the  min- 
ister of  the  town  was  expected  to  take  the  lead  :  nor 
would  it  have  been  prudent  for  any  one,  however 
hardly  pressed,  to  decline  the  labor  or  the  honor 
thus  imposed  or  proffered. 

It  was  at  a  somewhat  earlier  period  that  a  change 
had  taken  place  in  the  costume  and  the  manners  of 
the  clergy.  Small  clothes,  knee-buckles,  the  three- 


236  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

cornered  hat,  had  been  laid  aside,  and  with  them  the 
stateliness,  and  somewhat  of  the  dignified  bearing, 
which  characterized  the  profession  at  an  earlier  day. 
Still,  however,  the  young  minister,  from  the  time  of 
his  ordination,  was  expected  to  appear  in  the  pulpit 
in  flowing  gown  and  cassock  and  muslin  bands,  com- 
monly the  gifts  of  the  ladies  of  his  parish ;  which, 
when  soiled  by  use  or  worn  out  by  time,  were  re- 
placed by  new  ones  from  the  same  unfailing  source. 
The  gown  and  the  white  cravat  are  still  seen  occa- 
sionally in  some  of  our  pulpits,  the  only  badges  of 
office  that  still  remain ;  and  these,  too,  are  passing 
away,  and,  so  far  as  relates  to  the  country  clergy, 
will  soon  be  numbered  among  the  things  that  were. 

Great  and  memorable  changes  have  been  witnessed, 
during  the  period  we  are  reviewing,  in  the  architec- 
ture and  internal  arrangements  of  our  houses  of 
worship,*  and  in  the  general  style  and  character 
of  our  public  services.  The  old  church  in  Worces- 
ter (still  standing),  built  for  the  venerable  Dr.  Ban- 
croft, was  an  unsightly  structure  of  small  dimensions, 
standing  in  what  was  then  a  retired  spot,  now  a  busy 
street;  with  a  high  pulpit,  and  galleries  on  three 
sides.  The  church  at  Lancaster,  till  the  erection 
of  their  spacious  and  beautiful  brick  church  in  1816, 


*  Not  one  of  these  was  erected  as  "a  church,"  or  was  so  called  at 
the  time  spoken  of.  They  were  universally  called  "  meeting-houses," 
and  most  of  them  were  used  for  secular  meetings  —  lectures  and  town- 
meetings —  as  well  as  for  religious  worship. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  237 

was  without  spire  or  cupola  or  bell.  And  so  late 
as  1824,  when  our  brother  Lincoln  was  ordained, 
both  his  church  and  that  belonging  to  the  Orthodox 
society  in  Fitchburg,  were  barn-like  structures,  wholly 
devoid  of  beauty,  unless  it  were  the  "  beauty  of  holi- 
ness," of  which  we  trust  there  was  no  lack.  The 
church  in  Sterling  was  a  large  and  costly  structure, 
with  high  pulpit  and  wide  galleries  ;  the  front  gallery 
being  occupied  by  a  large  and  noble  band  of  singers, 
who  performed  their  part  of  the  service  to  universal 
acceptance.  Not  much  unlike  it,  though  a  more 
modern  structure  and  after  a  better  model,  was  the 
church  in  Northborough,  till  remodelled  in  1848, 
just  forty  years  after  its  erection ;  also  the  church 
of  the  West  Parish  in  Marlborough,  built  about  the 
same  time.  The  church  in  Shrewsbury,  which  is 
still  standing,  having  been  raised  for  the  sake  of 
a  vestry,  and  newly  arranged,  was  built,  in  the 
style  of  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  with 
tall,  pointed  spire.  The  church  in  Boylston  was 
in  a  different  style,  such  as  prevailed  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  with  cupola  and  side- 
porches  for  entrance.  The  churches  in  Bolton  and 
Princeton  differed  somewhat  from  either  of  the 
others  mentioned,  but  were  without  any  pretensions 
to  architectural  beauty,  or  adaptation  to  the  comfort 
either  of  the  speaker  or  the  congregation.  But, 
however  varied  in  form  or  dimensions,  all  were 
furnished  with  high  pulpits,  and  tall,  square  boxes, 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 


called  pews,  with  perpendicular  backs  and  wooden 
seats,  without  cushions,  furnished  with  hinges,  by 
which  the  seats  were  raised  when  the  congregation 
rose  for  prayer,  and  let  down,  not  without  a  deafen- 
ing noise  grateful  to  young  ears,  when  the  prayer 
was  ended. 

It  appears,  accordingly,  that  we  had  within  the 
limits  of  the  Worcester  Association,  at  its  formation 
forty-seven  years  ago,  specimens  of  nearly  every  style 
of  church  architecture  that  has  prevailed  since  the 
settlement  of  New  England.  First,  the  square,  tall 
building  without  steeple,  cupola,  or  porch,  resembling 
a  large  two-story  dwelling-house  without  chimneys, 
and  furnished  with  a  multitude  of  windows  arranged 
in  two  tiers.  Next,  the  same,  with  the  addition  of 
a  tall,  slender  steeple  and  a  bell,  such  as  were  com- 
mon in  New  England  one  hundred  years  ago.  The 
next  in  order,  specimens  of  which  may  still  be  seen 
in  remote  country  towns,  was  that  introduced  soon 
after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which 
the  steeple  gave  place  to  the  cupola ;  while  porches 
in  front  and  at  each  end  were  added,  not  certainly 
for  ornament,  but  much  to  the  convenience  and  com- 
fort of  those  who  attended  public  worship.  Soon 
after  the  commencement  of  the  new  century,  a 
greatly  improved  style  of  church  architecture  was 
introduced,  of  which  there  are  abundant  specimens 
in  Worcester  County.  In  front  of  the  main  build- 
ing is  a  well-proportioned  tower,  commonly  called 


I 

WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  239 

the  projection,  surmounted  by  belfry  and  cupola ; 
the  lower  part  of  which  projection  forms  a  con- 
venient hall  of  entrance,  from  which  flights  of  steps 
lead  to  the  gallery,  or  singers'  seats ;  the  space  over 
the  hall  being  formerly  used  in  some  instances  for 
holding  town-meetings,  as  was  the  case  of  North- 
borough  till  the  erection  of  a  town-house  in  1822. 
In  most  places,  however,  before  the  erection  of  town- 
houses,  the  body  of  the  church  itself  was  used  for 
this  and  other  secular  purposes.* 

It  may  be  well  to  state,  for  the  information  of  the 
effeminate  generation  now  on  the  stage  of  action, 
that,  at  the  commencement  of  the  period  now  under 
review,  furnaces  and  stoves  were  wholly  unknown 
in  any  of  our  country  churches ;  and  that  the  only 
means  of  obtaining  or  retaining  heat,  on  the  part 
of  the  worshippers,  was  the  use  of  foot-stoves,  warm 
clothing,  and  a  brave,  manly  and  womanly  spirit, 
that  set  at  defiance  the  wintry  blasts,  and  rose  supe- 
rior to  all  outward  hinderances. 

The  singing  in  the  old  meeting-house  was  per- 
formed by  a  choir  of  from  ten  to  fifty  or  more 
voices,  under  the  direction  of  a  leader  furnished  with 


*  A  still  more  antique  style  of  church-architecture  was  introduced 
at  an  earlier  period  of  our  history,  of  which  a  solitary  specimen  remains; 
to  wit,  the  church  of  the  First  Parish  in  Ilinghnm,  where  the  bell  is 
suspended  in  a  small  cupola,  raised  from  the  centre  of  the  roof,  the 
bell-rope  coining  down  i:i  the  middle  of  the  broad  aisle,  by  which 
the  minister  and  the  congregation  pass  to  their  respective  places.  The 
old  church  in  Lynn  was  built  after  the  same  model,  and  wns  standing 
•within  the  last  half-century. 


240  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

a  pitch-pipe,  or  accompanied  by  one  or  more  musical 
instruments ;  the  violin  and  bass-viol,  especially  the 
latter,  being  considered  almost  indispensable ;  the 
flute,  the  clarionet,  and  the  bassoon  finding  their 
way  only  into  some  of  the  more  ambitious  choirs. 

At  the  commencement  of  this  period,  Watts's 
Hymns  were  commonly  used  in  our  churches.  Soon, 
however,  this  collection  was  exchanged  for  Belknap, 
or  for  the  New-York  Collection,  and,  in  some  of 
our  churches,  for  Dabney's,  —  all  of  which  after- 
wards gave  place  to  Greenwood's  admirable  selec- 
tion ;  while  the  Cheshire  Collection,  introduced  about 
twenty  years  since,  is  the  one  at  present  in  most 
general  use  in  the  churches  connected  with  the 
Association. 

The  territorial  limits  of  the  Association  varied 
from  time  to  time.  At  first  they  embraced,  as  we 
have  seen,  either  in  whole  or  in  part,  nine  towns 
in  Worcester  County,  and  one  in  Middlesex.  To 
these  ten  were  subsequently  annexed,  in  order,  Har- 
vard, Fitchburg,  Berlin,  Grafton,  Leicester,  Leomin- 
ster,  Southborough,  Framingham,  Upton,  Clinton, 
and  Hudson ;  making  the  whole  number  twenty, 
represented  by  the  ten  original  members,  and  others 
who  have  since  joined  the  Association.  Several  of 
these  latter,  however,  had  but  a  very  brief  and  slight 
connection  with  the  body  ;  some  of  them  having  met 
with  us  only  a  few  times,  and  never  having  taken 
any  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  Association.  I 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  241 

have  thought  it  proper,  however,  to  furnish  a 
complete  list  of  their  names,  with  brief  notices  of 
each. 

One  of  the  leading  designs  of  this  and  similar 
Associations  from  the  first  has  been  the  intellectual 

• 

and  spiritual  culture  and  growth  of  its  members. 
For  securing  this  end,  various  measures  have  from 
time  to  time  been  adopted,  in  order  to  meet  the 
exigencies  of  the  times,  and  the  wants  or  wishes 
of  individual  members.  The  dissertation,  required  of 
the  brother  at  whose  house  the  meeting  was  held, 
and  which  commonly  demanded  much  study  and 
reflection,  had  special  reference  to  this  end ;  as  had 
also  the  discussion  which  followed  the  dissertation, 
in  which  all  took  part. 

Nor  do  we  make  light  account  of  the  social  influ- 
ence of  our  meetings.  They  brought  us  into  intimate 
relation  with  one  another;  gave  us  opportunities,  of 
which  we  were  glad  to  avail  ourselves,  for  making 
the  acquaintance  of  the  clerical  sisterhood,  and  the 
children  of  the  parsonage ;  and  for  gathering  hints, 
from  what  we  saw  and  heard,  of  which  we  could  avail 
ourselves  in  conducting  our  own  domestic  affairs. 
For  our  meetings  were  not  afternoon  or  evening 
calls  or  fashionable  parties,  but  social  religious 
meetings,  commonly  lasting  a  part  of  two  days ; 
the  evening  being  not  the  least  important  portion, 
whether  spent  in  the  church  or  in  the  parlor.  "NVhcn 
the  number  in  attendance  was  too  large  to  allow  of 

10  • 


242  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

all  being  lodged  at  the  minister's  house,  as  often 
happened,  especially  when  the  members  were  accom- 
panied by  their  wives  or  daughters,  the  guests  were 
hospitably  entertained  by  members  of  the  parish, 
who  always  had  a  "  prophet's  chamber  "  for^  use  on 
%such  occasions,  and  who,  in  doing  a  favor,  felt  that 
they  received  as  much  in  return. 

Some  of  the  subjects  discussed  at  the  private 
meetings  of  the  Association  were  theological  and 
critical;  but  more  of  them  related  to  matters  of 
practical  and  professional  concern.  Occasionally  an 
exposition  was  given  of  some  obscure  or  difficult 
text.  Thus  an  exposition  of  1  Cor.  xv.  25  —  "  For 
he  must  reign,"  &c.  —  was  assigned  first  to  one,  and 
then  to  a  second,  and  then  again  to  a  third  brother, 
each  of  whom  shrunk  from  the  task.  The  fourth 
assignment  was  to  Dr.  Bancroft,  who  was  ready  to 
grapple  with  any  difficulty,  and  who  treated  the 
subject  with  his  accustomed  ability. 

The  subject  of  one  dissertation  was,  "  The  Con- 
trol of  Church-members  over  the  Ordinance  of  the 
Lord's  Supper ; "  of  another,  "  The  Worship  at- 
tributed in  the  Scriptures  to  the  Son  of  God ; " 
"  Evangelical  Faith  ;  "  "  The  Influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  "  "  The  Duty  of  a  Minister  in  his  Pastoral 
Visits  ;  "  "  The  Duty  of  Ministers  at  the  Solemniza- 
tion of  Marriages ; "  "  How  are  we  to  understand 
the  precept,  *  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  ye  resist 
not  evil '  ? "  "  Church  Discipline  ;  "  "  The  Terms  of 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  243 

Christian  Communion ;  "  "  The  Nature,  Design,  and 
Duration  of  Future  Punishment."  Such  are  a  few 
of  the  subjects  treated  in  dissertations,  and  discussed, 
sometimes  with  marked  ability,  at  the  private  meet- 
ings of  the  Association. 

At  a  meeting  held  at  Princeton,  July  16,  1823, 
a  dissertation  was  read  by  brother  Clarke  on  "  the 
Duty  of  Ministers  at  the  Solemnization  of  Mar- 
riages," the  subject  assigned  him  at  the  previous 
meeting.  After  the  reading  of  the  dissertation,  a 
committee  of  three,  consisting  of  Dr.  Bancroft  and 
the  two  Aliens,  was  appointed  to  report  "  on  the 
expediency  .of  obtaining  or  compiling  a  small  book 
to  be  given  on  marriage  occasions  to  young  married 
persons."  At  the  next  meeting,  the  committee  re- 
ported in  favor  of  adopting  Bean's  "  Advice  to  Young 
Married  Persons "  as  a  suitable  book  for  the  pur- 
pose. An  edition  was  struck  off  for  the  use  of 
the  Association,  copies  of  which  may  be  found  on  the 
book-shelves  of  some  who  were  married  by  members 
of  the  Association  thirty  or  forty  years  ago.  The 
book  was  well  enough  for  the  price,  and  it  was 
the  best  we  could  find ;  though  far  inferior  to  the 
one  compiled  by  our  brother  Livermore,  entitled 
"  The  Marriage  Offering,"  or  "  Buds  for  a  Bridal 
Wreath,"  by  our  brother  Tilden.  The  same  com- 
mittee, to  which  was  added  Dr.  Thayer,  were  directed 
to  report  "  on  the  expediency  of  adopting  a  uniform 
method  in  admitting  persons  to  our  churches."  We 


244  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

find  no  record  of  any  report  made  by  this  commit- 
tee ;  but  we  believe  that  they  made  a  verbal  report, 
to  the  effect  that  each  minister  should  be  left  to 
take  such  a  course  as  he  thought  best. 

The  subject  of  admitting  persons  to  church-fellow- 
ship by  recommendation  of  other  churches,  was  sub- 
sequently, May,  1834,  brought  before  the  Association; 
when  it  was  voted,  "  That  it  be  recommended  to 
the  churches  under  the  pastoral  charge  of  members 
of  the  Association,  to  admit  to  all  the  privileges  of 
church-membership,  in  the  several  churches,  all  per- 
sons, being  members  of  the  church,  who  shall  give 
satisfactory  evidence  to  the  officers  of  the  church, 
that  they  are  members  of  some  Christian  church, 
in  good  and  regular  standing." 

Harvard,  June  22,  1826,  the  project  of  forming 
a  theological  library,  for  the  use  of  the  members, 
was  started  by  brother  Blanchard,  which  was  so 
favorably  received,  that  a  committee  of  three,  con- 
sisting of  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft,  Dr.  Thayer,  and  the 
prime  mover  of  the  project,  Rev.  Mr.  Blanchard, 
was  appointed  to  consider  the  subject,  and  to  report 
at  their  next  meeting.  The  committee  reported 
in  favor  of  the  measure,  which  report  was  accepted 
by  a  unanimous  vote  :  and  it  was  agreed,  that  the 
assessment  for  each  member  for  the  first  year  should 
be  ten  dollars,  and  five  dollars  annually  after- 
wards ;  that  Lancaster  should  be  the  place  of  de- 
posit; and  that  the  minister  of  the  Congregational 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  245 

society  in  that  place,  for  the  time  being,  should  be 
the  librarian. 

Agreeably  to  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution,  a 
committee  of  three,  consisting  of  Drs.  Bancroft  and 
Thayer  and  the  writer,  was  appointed  to  purchase 
the  books ;  which  accordingly  was  done,  and  the 
library  went  into  immediate  operation.  A  number 
of  costly  and  valuable  works  were  purchased,  and 
others  were  presented  as  gifts  ;  and,  for  several  years, 
the  members  availed  themselves  of  the  privilege  of 
taking  books  from  the  library.  It  was  found,  how- 
ever, after  the  experience  of  a  few  years,  that  the 
inconvenience  of  taking  and  returning  the  books 
was  so  great,  especially  to  those  who  lived  at  a 
distance  from  the  place  of  deposit,  that  the  library 
was  of  less  value  to  the  members  than  had  been 
fondly  hoped ;  and  in  July,  1837,  a  discussion  took 
place,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Association,  with  regard 
to  the  disposition  to  be  made  of  the  library.  The 
subject  was,  after  discussion,  indefinitely  postponed. 
Again,  however,  in  August,  1844,  the  subject  was 
brought  before  the  Association  ;  and  a  request  was 
made  by  Rev.  Mr.  Stebbins,  that,  if  the  Associa- 
tion should  see  fit,  some  of  the  books  might  be 
transferred  to  Meadville,  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Theological  School  about  to  be  established  in  that 
place,  and  of  which  he  was  to  be  the  first  President. 
The  proposition  was  favorably  received  ;  a  selection 
was  made ;  other  books  were  contributed  by  in- 


246  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

dividual  members ;  and  the  whole  was  transmitted 
to  the  school  in  Meadville,  then  just  going  into 
operation.  The  remnant  of  the  library  is  still  the 
property  of  the  Association. 

The  public  lecture,  or  sermon,  was  delivered  in 
the  church;  at  first  in  the  afternoon,  afterwards  in  the 
evening ;  the  subject  of  which  had  been  previously 
assigned.  At  first,  a  subject  was  given  out  for  the 
annual  course  ;  subsequently,  the  course  was  divided 
into  two  parts,  and  a  subject  assigned  for  each.  This 
service  was  specially  designed  for  the  use  of  the 
congregation ;  and  the  subject  was  chosen  with  this 
object  in  view.  I  give  a  list  of  subjects,  taken  at 
random  from  the  records  of  the  Association,  which 
were  assigned  for  the  annual  or  the  semi-annual 
courses  :  "  The  Christian  Temper  ;  "  "  Prayer  ;  " 
"  Christian  Faith  ;  "  "  The  Design  of  Religion,  Nat- 
ural and  Revealed  ;  "  "  Early  Piety,  addressed  to  the 
Young ;  "  "  Means  of  Personal  Religion  ;  "  "  Future 
Retribution  ;  "  "  Signs  of  the  Times  ;  "  "  The  Dan- 
gers and  Duties  of  Unitarians  ;  "  "  Active  Christian 
Benevolence;."  "  Peace  and  Peace  Societies;"  "The 
Relative  Duties  of  Ministers  and  People." 

At  a  subsequent  period,  the  choice  of  a  subject 
was  left  with  the  officiating  minister;  an  arrange- 
ment which  was  found  to  be  most  generally  satis- 
factory. At  one  time,  the  sermon  was  followed  by 
the  communion  service ;  and  some  of  these  occasions 
were  seasons  of  deep  religious  interest  and  high 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  247 

spiritual  enjoyment,  the  memory  of  which  is  still 
fresh  and  fragrant. 

At  one  time,  it  was  recommended  that  the  breth- 
ren, using  the  liberty  claimed  by  the  apostle  Paul,  — 
"  to  lead  about  a  wife,  a  sister,"  —  should  bring  with 
them  to  the  meetings  of  the  Association  their  wives 
or  daughters ;  a  proposition  that  was  received  with 
much  favor,  and  adopted,  we  believe,  without  a  dis- 
sentient voice,  even  from  the  small  minority  who 
had  failed  to  comply  with  the  apostolic  injunction, 
that  "  a  bishop  should  be  the  husband  of  one  wife." 
The  experiment  was  satisfactory  in  the  highest  de- 
gree. The  attendance  of  the  brethren  from  that 
time  was  more  regular ;  and  the  discussions,  carried 
on  in  the  presence  of  the  other  sex,  and  in  which 
they  sometimes  shared,  took  a  more  practical  turn, 
and  were  marked  with  a  more  earnest  and  fervent 
spirit.  The  custom,  we  are  happy  to  say,  has  not 
been  wholly  discontinued ;  and  we  hope  that  it  may 
be  revived  and  perpetuated,  not  only  as  one  of  the 
most  effective  means  of  keeping  up  an  interest  in  the 
meetings  of  the  Association,  but  for  the  opportunity 
it  affords  for  a  pleasant,  social,  and  spiritual  inter- 
course between  neighboring  ministers  and  ministers' 
wives  and  their  families. 

At  one  time,  a  committee,  chosen  to  consider  by 
what  means  the  meetings  of  the  Association  might 
be  rendered  more  attractive,  and  the  means  of  more 
extensive  usefulness,  reported  (Nov.  19,  1850)  a^ 


248  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (]S7EW). 

recommendation,  "  that  there  be  a  social  gathering 
and  collation  in  the  different  towns  at  the  meetings 
of  the  Association,  and  that  the  sermon  be  dispensed 
with : "  but  the  measure,  though  regarded  with  favor 
by  some,  was  thought  by  a  majority  of  the  brethren 
to  be  an  unwise  experiment ;  and,  accordingly,  the 
proposal  Avas  rejected.  In  justice  to  those  who 
favored  the  measure,  it  should  be  stated,  that  it  was 
their  object  not  merely  to  give  new  interest  and 
attractiveness  to  the  meetings,  but  to  bring  into  exer- 
cise the  social  element  in  connection  with  religion, 
and  thereby  to  enlist  the  favor  of  the  young  of  both 
sexes ;  and,  though  the  sermon  should  be  dispensed 
with,  its  place  would  be  supplied  by  table  speeches, 
as  is  the  custom  of  our  Unitarian  brethren  in  England 
and  Scotland  at  their  anniversary  re-unions. 

The  attention  of  the  Association  was  called  to  a 
consideration  of  the  means  of  awakening  a  new  in- 
terest in  our  meetings,  in  a  dissertation  read  at 
Sterling,  November,  1852,  by  Rev.  T.  P.  Allen,  when 
the  following  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted  :  — 

"  Whereas  of  late  years  the  Worcester  Associa- 
tion has  lamentably  declined  from  its  former  life  and 
vigor,  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  interests  of  true 
religion  among  us ;  therefore  Resolved,  That  respect 
for  the  labors  of  our  honored  predecessors,  as  well 
as  regard  for  our  own  reputation  and  good,  for  the 
progress  of  Christian  truth  and  the  growth  of  gospel 
piety  among  our  people,  imperatively  demand  that 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  249 

we  bestir  ourselves  with  energy  for  its  resuscitation, 
and  renewed  activity  and  usefulness." 

The  moderator  and  scribe  were  also  appointed  a 
committee  to  make  arrangements  for  a  meeting  of 
the  Association  in  January,  to  consult  for  its  inter- 
ests. Accordingly,  a  meeting  was  held,  agreeably  to 
arrangements  made  for  the  purpose,  Jan.  19,  1853, 
at  the  house  of  Rev.  E.  E.  Hale ;  ten  of  the  imme- 
diate members  being  present,  besides  brother  Will- 
son,  who  had  just  accepted  a  call  to  the  church  in 
West  Roxbury,  and  brothers  Stone,  of  Bolton,  and 
Livermore,  of  Clinton,  who  joined  the  Association 
at  this  time.  It  was  a  meeting  of  more  than  common 
interest.  Past  negligences  were  candidly  acknowl- 
edged ;  and  there  seemed  to  be  a  disposition  and 
determination  on  the  part  of  all  present  to  do  their 
share  in  remedying  the  evil  complained  of.  After 
an  extended  and  earnest  discussion,  it  was  voted,  on 
motion  of  brother  Hale,  that  "  we  hold  only  six 
meetings  each  year,  and  that  the  time  and  place  of 
each  meeting  be  specially  determined  at  the  pre- 
ceding meeting."  In  regard  to  the  character  of 
these  meetings,  it  was  maintained  that,  in  these  stir- 
ring times,  we  should  not  be  content  with  coming 
together  for  the  mere  purpose  of  discussing  ques- 
tions of  an  abstract  and  general  nature,  or  of 
Scripture  interpretation,  or  of  pastoral  duty ;  but 
that  we  should  boldly  meet  the  great  questions  of 
the  day,  those  questions  which  stir  up  men's  minds, 


250  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

and  warm  their  hearts,  and  enlist  their  deepest  feel- 
ings, —  questions  of  present  interest  and  great  prac- 
tical concern,  —  such  as  Pauperism  ;  Intemperance  ; 
War ;  Crime,  its  Prevention  and  Cure ;  the  Defects 
in  our  Systems  of  Education ;  our  Duty  to  our  For- 
eign Population ;  and  the  Best  Means  of  Supporting 
Religious  Institutions.  Thereupon  it  was  voted,  that, 
for  our  private  sessions,  each  brother  be  at  liberty  to 
choose  the  subject  of  his  dissertation ;  and,  with 
regard  to  the  public  service,  the  brother  at  whose 
house  we  meet  shall  select  such  topic  as  in  his 
judgment  will  be  most  interesting  and  useful  to  his 
people. 

The  subject  was  again  called  up,  June,  1859,  when 
a  committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  brothers 
Shippen  and  Tilden,  who  in  their  report  at  a  sub- 
sequent meeting,  held  in  Bolton  in  the  following 
September,  "  recommended  that  the  individual  at 
whose  house  the  meeting  is  held,  and  the  brother 
who  is  to  write  the  essay  for  the  public,  agree  on  a 
topic;  and  that  said  topic,  with  the  name  of  the 
essayist,  be  published  in  the  notice  of  the  meeting ; 
and  that  the  essay  be  followed  by  a  conference  on 
the  topic  discussed ;  also,  that  the  essayist  be  con- 
fined to  half  an  hour,  and  the  speakers  to  fifteen 
minutes  each  :  "  which  recommendation  was  adopted 
with  the  proviso  "  that  the  subject  be  chosen  by  the 
Association." 

The  experiment  was  tried,  and  proved  eminently 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  251 

successful.  The  subject  of  the  first  essay  was  Slavery. 
The  essay  by  Rev.  Mr.  Scandling,  of  Grafton,  was 
followed  by  an  able  and  animated  discussion  on  the 
Duty  of  Northern  Christians  growing  out  of  its  ex- 
istence. This  was  followed  by  one  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Forbush,  on  the  Best  Means  of  Promoting  the  Cause 
of  Temperance. 

At  a  meeting  in  Worcester,  at  the  house  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Hale,  in  May,  1849,  the  attention  of  the  Asso- 
ciation was  called  by  Rev.  Mr.  Burton,  then  chaplain 
of  the  jail  and  minister  to  the  poor  in  Worcester,  to 
the  condition  of  the  neglected  classes  in  their  re- 
spective towns,  when  the  following  vote  was  passed : 
"  Resolved,  That  each  gentleman  present  will  devote 
the  next  week  to  visits  among  the  neglected  families 
of  his  town,  and  present  the  results  to  his  people  on 
some  ensuing  sabbath,  and  transmit  the  same  to  Mr. 
Burton,  for  such  use  as  may  seem  advisable."  The 
result  of  this  measure,  so  far  as  it  was  carried  into 
effect,  was  the  discovery,  in  most  of  our  towns,  of  a 
considerable  number  of  families,  principally  composed 
of  foreigners,  living  in  the  total  neglect  of  public 
worship,  and  without  Christian  nurture  and  instruc- 
tion ;  and,  in  some  instances,  increased  and  successful 
efforts  to  raise  the  fallen,  and  to  save  those  who 
were  ready  to  perish.  It  was  at  this  meeting  that 
the  proposal  of  starting  a  child's  paper  was  intro- 
duced by  brother  Hale,  when  it  was  unanimously 
voted  to  bring  the  subject  before  the  Convention  of 


252  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

Sunday-school  Teachers,  which  was  to  be  held  in 
Northborough  the  following  month.  The  proposal 
was  favorably  received  by  the  Convention,  and  ar- 
rangements were  made  for  starting  the  paper  at  once, 
which  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  "  The  Sunday- 
school  Gazette,"  which,  under  various  auspices,  has 
been  sustained  to  the  present  time. 

The  education  of  the  young  has  ever  been  an 
object  of  special  interest  with  this  Association.  So 
early  as  October,  1821,  a  committee,  consisting  of 
Drs.  Bancroft  and  Thayer  and  the  writer,  was  ap- 
pointed to  prepare  a  catechism  for  the  use  of  young 
children,  which  was  accordingly  done ;  and  the  first 
edition  of  "  The  Worcester  Catechism  "  was  published 
in  the  following  year  (1822),  the  profits  of  which 
were  paid  into  the  treasury  of  the  Evangelical  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

The  profits  of  several  succeeding  editions  till  the 
year  1830,  amounting  to  fifty  dollars,  were  applied 
to  the  purchase  of  books  for  the  library  of  the  Asso- 
ciation. From  this  date,  by  a  vote  of  the  Association, 
the  profits  of  this  little  book  were  relinquished  for 
the  benefit  of  the  compiler. 

Before  the  publication  of  the  Worcester  Catechism, 
several  manuals  were  in  use  in  the  different  towns 
represented  by  the  Worcester  Association,  and  in 
other  Liberal  churches.  Among  them  was  one, 
bearing  the  same  title,  compiled  by  Dr.  Bancroft. ; 
another,  by  Channing  and  Thatcher  ;  one,  by  Parker, 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  253 

of  Portsmouth ;  another,  by  Colman,  of  Hingham  ; 
besides  the  Geneva  Catechisms,  in  three  numbers,  an 
excellent  work,  republished  in  Boston,  under  the 
auspices  of  Hon.  John  G.  Palfrey,  then  minister  of 
the  church  in  Brattle  Square.  Some  of  these  man- 
uals continued  in  use  for  many  years,  and  were 
found  to  be  valuable  aids  to  the  minister  in  impart- 
ing religious  instruction  to  the  children  of  his  parish. 
The  Worcester  Catechism  was  followed  by  other 
manuals  prepared  by  a  member  of  the  Association, 
and  published,  if  not  by  their  direction,  yet  by  their 
encouragement  and  aid. 

In  September,  1838,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Associa- 
tion at  Lancaster,  Dr.  Thayer  communicated  a  letter 
from  Professor  Henry  Ware,  jun.,  requesting  the 
views  of  the  Association  on  the  subject  of  a  seminary 
for  the  education  of  pious  youth  designed  for  the 
ministry;  which  was  referred  to  a  committee  consist- 
ing of  Dr.  Thayer  and  the  writer,  to  report  at  the  next 
meeting.  The  committee  reported  in  favor^  of  the 
measure  ;  and  a  copy  of  their  report  was  transmitted 
to  Rev.  Mr.  Ware. 

As  the  subject  is  one  of  permanent  interest,  and 
one  that  at  the  time  occupied  the  earnest  and  anxious 
thoughts  of  many  of  the  friends  of  Liberal  Christi- 
anity, both  among  the  clergy  and  laity,  and  as  the 
plan  proposed  met  with  the  warm  approval  of 
the  members  of  the  Worcester  Association,  we  give 
the  report  in  full,  from  a  copy  which  was  found 


254  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

among  the  papers  of  Rev.  H.  Ware,  jun.     The  report 
was  written  by  Dr.  Thayer,  and  is  as  follows :  — 

"The  committee,  to  whom  was  referred  the  letter 
of  the  Rev.  Henry  Ware,  jun.,  D.D.,  requesting  this 
Association  to  co-operate  in  means  for  supplying  the 
wants  of  the  Christian  community,  by  increasing 
the  number  of  ministers  of  our  denomination,  respect- 
fully reports  :  — 

"  The  want  of  ministers  in  the  class  to  which  we 
belong  has  been  apparent  to  us.  We  are  settled  in 
the  belief,  which  has  been  confirmed  by  full  experi- 
ments, that  the  existing  means,  including  the  Theo- 
logical School  at  Cambridge,  give  us  no  hope  of  a 
competent  remedy  for  the  evil.  We  have  deeply 
lamented,  and  it  has  exposed  us  to  merited  reproach, 
that  there  has  been  in  Unitarian  Christians  a  reluc- 
tance, next  to  invincible,  to  train  up,  and  gfve  them 
an  opportunity  to  be  well  qualified  for  their  work,  a 
multitude  of  young  men  who  would  '  contend  for 
the  faith  which,'  we  believe,  '  was  once  delivered 
to  the  saints.'  We  duly  appreciate  the  engagedness 
and  zeal  of  our  fellow-Christians  of  other  sects,  who, 
amongst  the  charities  of  the  age,  have  assigned  to 
this  a  prominent  place.  To  us  there  appear  peculiar 
advantages  in  the  selection  of  a  Christian  minister, 
who  shall  receive  youths  into  his  family,  over  whom 
he  may  exert  a  direct  moral  and  religious  influence. 
We  may  hope  that  he  will  so  far  aid  in  forming 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  255 

their  tastes,  and  in  inducing  them  to  a  course  of 
serious  and  religious  reflection  and  inquiry,  as  that 
they  will  give  a  fair  promise  of  being  devoted,  faith- 
ful, and  successful  ministers.  We  presume  that  we 
coincide  with  all  the  friends  of  the  measure  which  is 
contemplated,  in  the  opinion,  that  the  minister  who 
shall  superintend  this  great  work  shall  be  a  man  of 
experience,  have  a  conciliating  mode  of  imparting 
knowledge,  and  one  who  has  attained  to  eminence 
in  his  profession.  If  a  minister  of  this  character  can 
be  secured,  and  the  proposed  measure  shall  go  into 
effect,  reliance  may  be  placed  on  the  Worcester  As- 
sociation to  give  it  their  cordial  co-operation.  We 
believe  that  suitable  candidates  for  the  privilege  may 
be  found  within  our  limits.  We  feel  also  assured, 
that  a  sum  not  less  than  three  hundred  dollars  annu- 
ally may  be  collected  in  our  parishes  to  advance  the 
proposed  object. 

"  The  committee  also  recommend,  that,  in  reply 
to  the  letter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Ware,  the  Secretary  forward 
him  a  copy  of  the  report. 

"  NATHANIEL  TIIAYER. 
JOSEPH  ALLEN. 

"  A  true  copy  of  the  original  report. 

"Attest:  P.  OSGOOD,  Scribe." 

This  letter  bears  the  date  of  Oct.  20,  1838.  The 
subject  had  been  under  consideration  for  many 
months.  As  early  as  May,  1837,  a  circular,  with 


256  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

the  signatures  of  H.  Ware,  jun.,  I.  Bangs,  and  A.  B. 
Muzzey,  was  sent  to  the  superintendents  of  the  Sun- 
day schools  connected  with  the  churches  of  our 
faith,  asking  for  distinct  answers  to  the  two  following 
questions :  — 

"  1.  Are  there  any,  and  how  many,  lads  in  your 
school,  of  talents  and  disposition  suitable  for  the  min- 
istry, who  probably  might  be  induced  to  receive  an 
education  in  the  way  we  propose  ?  " 

"  2.  Are  there  any  young  men  among  your  teach- 
ers, or  in  your  parish,  who  would  make  zealous  and 
useful  ministers,  and  who  might  be  induced  to  enter 
the  profession,  if  sufficient  encouragement  were  of- 
fered them  ? " 

To  this  letter  of  inquiry,  answers  were  returned 
from  many  of  our  churches,  expressing  the  approval 
of  the  plan  suggested,  and  speaking  encouragingly 
and  hopefully  of  its  success.  One  writer  knows  of 
eight,  another  of  six,  another  of  three  or  four,  lads 
of  a  suitable  character ;  and,  in  a  schedule  which 
lies  before  me,  I  find,  that,  from  twenty-four  churches 
therein  named,  as  many  as  ten  or  twelve  young  men 
are  mentioned  as  suitable  candidates  for  the  theo- 
logical school.  Besides  the  above-named  circular, 
Mr.  Ware  addressed  letters  to  individual  ministers 
and  laymen,  in  whose  judgment  he  confided,  and 
who  had  shown  an  interest  in  the  enterprise.  From 
one  of  the  letters  which  he  received  in  reply,  I 
venture,  without  the  leave  of  the  writer,  to  give  the 


ft 

WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  257 

following  extract.  The  suggestion  that  had  been 
made  to  him  by  Mr.  Ware,  to  which  the  extract 
relates,  viz.  that  the  contemplated  school  should  be 
placed  under  his  care,  may  possibly  have  been  con- 
nected with  the  subsequent  promotion  of  that  gentle- 
man to  the  presidency  of  the  Theological  School  soon 
after  instituted  at  Meadville. 

"  As  for  myself,"  the  writer  proceeds,  "  I  must 
say,  that  I  am  grateful  for  the  confidence  you  have 
manifested  in  mentioning  the  undertaking  to  me.  It 
is  not  necessary  for  me  to  say  to  one  who  knows  my 
heart  as  well  as  you  do,  that  I  am  willing  to  do  all 
I  can  for  that  cause.  An  older,  better  man,  I  think, 
should  be  employed.  I  am  in  no  situation  to  attend 
to  such  lads  now,  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  shall  be 
soon,  if  ever.  On  one  account  I  should  like  to  do 
it :  I  should  see  the  result  of  my  labors.  I  dare  not 
say  no,  for  it  seems  too  much  my  Master's  work  to 
reject  it.  I  cannot  say  yes,  as  I  do  not  see  how  I 
can  be  so  situated  as  to  do  it  now." 

The  plan  of  the  school  was  matured  by  Mr.  Ware 
and  his  associates  and  coadjutors ;  and  many  looked 
with  confidence  and  hope  to  its  establishment.  But 
some  of  our  brethren  looked  upon  it  with  distrust, 
and  some  with  indifference ;  and  it  was  finally  aban- 
doned, with  many  regrets  on  the  part  of  those  who 
had  projected  it  and  given  it  shape.  But  the  dis- 
cussion which  it  called  forth  was  not  in  vain.  It 
directed  attention  to  the  wants  of  the  churches  and 

17 


258  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

the  means  of  supply  ;  nor  can  we  doubt  that  it  was  the 
means  of  bringing  many  young  men  of  promise  into 
the  school  at  Cambridge,  nor  that  it  did  a  good 
deal  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  establishment  of 
the  school  at  Meadville,  which  has  proved  so  rich 
a  blessing  to  our  churches. 

Mr.  Ware,  whose  heart  was  in  the  work,  proposed 
the  following  scheme,  which  certainly  contains  many 
valuable  hints  and  suggestions  :  — 

"  In  order  to  an  adequate  supply  of  candidates  for 
the  ministry,  such  as  shall  enable  us  to  discharge 
our  obligations  to  the  importance  of  our  views  and 
the  growing  wants  of  the  country,  it  is  proposed,  that 
measures  be  taken  to  provide  for  the  education  of 
suitable  young  men,  now  entering  on  other  pursuits, 
who  would  yet  prefer  the  ministry ;  and  also  for  that 
of  promising  boys,  whose  parents  are  unable  to  edu- 
cate them,  but  would  gladly  resign  them  to  this  work. 

"  To  this  end,  the  following  scheme  has  been  sug- 
gested :  — 

"  1.  Some  competent  clergyman  should  be  engaged 
to  superintend  an  institution  for  the  education  of  these 
lads.  They  should  form  part  of  his  family,  and  be 
at  all  times  under  his  influence ;  the  object  being 
so  to  cultivate  their  tastes,  dispositions,  and  charac- 
ters, as  to  form  in  them  a  desire  and  preference  of 
the  ministry  as  their  business  in  life.  But  they 
should  be  left  wholly  free,  and  without  coercion,  to 
choose  or  reject  it. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  259 

"  2.  In  selecting  the  pupils  for  such  a  school, 
special  care  should  be  taken  to  admit  none  but  those 
of  high  promise,  both  from  disposition  and  from 
adaptedness  of  talent,  and  not  at  a  younger  age  than 
ten  or  twelve  years. 

"  3.  They  should  be  educated  either  with  a  view  to 
the  university,  or  to  a  completion  of  their  education 
elsewhere,  as  in  each  case  might  appear  expedient. 

"4.  The  expenses  might  be  defrayed,  —  1st,  by 
scholarships  provided  for  the  institution ;  or,  2d,  by 
the  friends  and  parents  of  the  pupils ;  or,  3d,  by  the 
parishes  to  which  they  belong;  or,  4th,  by  annual 
donations  and  subscriptions. 

"5.  The  number  of  pupils  might  be  twelve  or 
twenty ;  and,  in  order  to  aid  the  labors  of  the  super- 
intendent, there  might  live  among  them  several  of 
the  young  men  above  referred  to,  who  should  be 
under  his  instruction,  and,  by  teaching  and  other 
influences,  assist  his  labors  with  the  boys. 

"  6.  The  government  of  such  a  school  might  rest 
with  some  board  or  committee,  chosen  by  subscrib- 
ers, whose  office  should  be  to  provide  the  requisite 
means  for  supporting  it ;  and,  in  connection  with  the 
superintendent,  to  form  and  enforce  the  rules  which 
would  be  necessary  to  its  successful  operation. 

"  If  a  plan  like  this  should  be  adopted,  its  prac- 
tical result  would  immediately  be  this  :  — 

"A  family,  composed  of  twelve  boys  of  about 
twelve  years  of  age,  and  of  six  young  men  of  about 


£60  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

twenty,  engaged  together  in  a  regular  course  of 
moral  and  religious  culture ;  the  young  men,  while 
instructed,  acting  also  as  instructors  of  the  boys,  and 
essentially  co-operating  to  the  great  end  by  their 
social  and  moral  influence,  —  such  an  institution 
would,  in  four  years,  give  an  addition  of  six  to 
the  number  of  our  preachers ;  and,  in  ten  years,  of 
eighteen.  If  the  success  of  it  should  satisfy,  it  might 
be  enlarged,  or  another  like  it  be  founded,  so  as 
still  further  to  augment  the  number. 

"  An  estimate  has  been  made  by  which  it  appears 
that  the  expenses  of  such  a  school  would  probably 
amount  to  about  two  thousand  dollars  a  year.  Of 
this  it  might  be  calculated,  that  one-half  would  be 
paid  by  competent  parents  and  friends,  and  the  re- 
ligious societies  from  whose  Sunday  schools  the  boys 
came ;  while  the  other  half  must  be  provided  by  the 
institution  itself. 

"This  project  is  presented,  not  as  in  itself  com- 
plete, but  simply  that,  by  giving  the  subject  a  definite 
shape,  the  purpose  and  its  feasibility  may  be  more 
readily  seen." 

As  one  of  the  most  effective  instruments  of  early 
religious  culture,  the  Sunday  school  has  been  re- 
garded with  favor,  and  has  formed  a  frequent  subject 
of  discussion  in  the  meetings  of  the  Worcester  Asso- 
ciation. The  institution,  as  is  well  known,  had  its 
origin  in  Great  Britain  more  than  three-fourths  of  a 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  261 

century  since,  but  did  not  come  into  general  use  in 
this  country  till  near  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  of 
the  present  century.  It  was  introduced,  not  simul- 
taneously, or  by  the  concerted  action  of  our  own  or 
of  any  other  denomination  of  Christians ;  but  at  an 
earlier  or  later  date,  as  each  church  or  minister 
deemed  it  expedient.  From  time  immemorial,  it  had 
been  the  custom  in  New  England  for  the  minister 
to  meet  the  children  of  his  parish  once  or  twice  a 
year,  at  the  village  church,  to  hear  them  repeat, 
memorlter,  the  Westminster  Assembly's  Catechism, 
or  some  other  manual,  which  they  were  expected  to 
commit  to  memory  at  home  or  at  school. 

These  "  catechisings,"  as  they  were  called,  were 
occasions  of  much  interest  to  the  children,  who,  on 
a  day  appointed,  flocked  to  the  village  church,  where, 
seated  in  ranks,  on  long  benches  or  in  pews,  they 
repeated  the  answers  to  the  questions  contained  in 
the  manual  then  in  use. 

Before  the  multiplication  of  rival  sects,  moreover, 
a  considerable  amount  of  religious  instruction  was 
imparted  to  our  children  orally,  or  in  the  use  of  man- 
uals, in  our  district  schools.  The  jealousy  of  sects 
rendered  this  practice  obnoxious,  and  led  to  the 
almost  total  exclusion  of  religious  instruction  from 
our  public  schools. 

In  this  state  of  things,  the  introduction  of  Sunday 
schools  into  our  parishes  seemed  to  be  called  for  as 
a  thing  of  necessity.  It  was  made  necessary  by  the 


262  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

altered  state  of  our  ecclesiastical  affairs.  This  neces- 
sity was  recognized  at  an  early  day  by  most  of  the 
ministers  of  this  region ;  and,  before  the  end  of  the 
first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century,  a  Sunday 
school  had  been  organized,  and  was  in  successful 
operation  in  nearly  every  parish  embraced  in  this 
Association. 

As  early  as  Nov.  21,  1817,  a  committee,  composed 
of  three  members  of  the  Association,  —  Messrs.  Os- 
good,  Allen,  and  Alden,  —  was  appointed  to  take  into 
consideration,  and  to  report  on,  the  subject  of  Sunday 
schools.  That  committee  made  their  report  in  the 
following  May,  in  which,  after  speaking  hopefully 
and  encouragingly  of  the  institution  as  "  an  efficient 
instrument  of  a  Christian  education,"  they  recommend 
"  that  the  ministers  of  this  Association,  at  the  last 
meeting  in  each  year,  be  expected  to  present  oral  or 
written  reports  to  this  body,  communicating  such 
information  as  they  may  judge  to  be  expedient  re- 
specting the  Sunday  schools  in  their  parishes,  or 
other  modes  which  they  may  have  adopted  for  pro- 
moting the  religious  education  of  the  young ;  "  which 
was  accordingly  done.  Sunday  schools  formed  a 
frequent  subject  of  discussion  at  the  meetings  of  the 
Association  for  the  next  six  or  seven  years,  till  at 
length,  in  1834,  measures  were  taken  for  forming  a 
Sunday-school  Union,  composed  of  the  teachers  and 
superintendents  (including,  of  course,  the  ministers) 
of  the  several  schools  connected  with  the  churches 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NE\v).  263 

i 

within  the  bounds  of  the  Worcester  Association  ;  the 
first  society  of  the  kind  of  which  we  have  any  knowl- 
edge, the  parent  of  all  similar  associations  in  our 
denomination,  to  which,  also,  may  be  traced  those 
Sunday-school  conventions  which  have  since  become 
so  frequent,  and  which  enjoy  so  large  a  share  of  pop- 
ular favor. 

The  subject  of  forming  such  an  association  was 
introduced  Aug.  14,  1834,  by  a  respected  brother, 
recently  deceased,  who,  from  his  retirement,  was 
indulged  the  high  satisfaction  of  witnessing  the  suc- 
cess of  the  means  which  he  had  the  wisdom  to 
initiate.  Our  brother  Osgood  was  chairman  of  the 
committee  chosen  at  the  above-mentioned  date,  to 
consider  the  expediency  of  forming  a  Sunday-school 
Union.  The  meeting  was  held  in  Sterling ;  and  the 
subject  of  the  dissertation  read  by  brother  Osgood  on 
the  occasion  was  "  Sunday  schools."  After  hearing 
the  dissertation,  the  Association  "  voted  to  choose  a 
committee  of  three  to  consider,"  as  the  record  reads, 
"  the  expediency  of  forming  a  Sunday-school  Union 
within  the  limits  of  this  Association,  and  to  report  at 
the  next  meeting.  Brothers  Osgood,  Allen  of  North- 
borough,  and  Thayer,  were  chosen  on  this  committee." 
The  next  meeting  was  at  Fitchburg,  Sept.  17,  at  which 
meeting  "  the  committee  made  a  report,  which  was 
accepted  ;  and  a  meeting  was  appointed  to  be  held  at 
Lancaster,  on  Thursday,  Oct.  9,  for  the  purpose  of 
forming  a  Sunday-school  society  within  the  limits 


264  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

i 

of  this  Association.  Brothers  Hill,  Allen  of  North- 
borough,  and  Lincoln,  were  chosen  a  committee  to 
make  arrangements  for  the  meeting ;  and  brother 
Osgood  was  requested  to  deliver  an  address  on  the 
occasion." 

In  giving  this  brief  account  of  the  origin  of  this 
society,  we  have  taken  the  simple  record  of  the 
scribe  of  the  Worcester  Association,  who  was  the 
first  mover  in  this  enterprise,  and  who  gave  to  it  his 
earnest  thoughts  and  wise  counsels.  The  meeting  at 
Lancaster  was  an  occasion  of  much  interest.  A  large 
number  of  Sunday-school  teachers,  with  their  pastors, 
were  present ;  the  discourse  of  brother  Osgood,  as 
well  as  the  other  exercises,  were  appropriate ;  and  all 
felt  that  it  was  good  to  be  there.  According  to  the 
original  plan,  the  society  met  but  once  in  the  year, 
usually  in  May  or  June,  soon  after  our  Sunday 
schools  had  been  re-organized ;  having  been  sus- 
pended, as  was  the  case  in  most  of  our  parishes,  during 
the  winter.  Afterwards  it  was  thought  desirable  that  a 
semi-annual  meeting  should  be  held  in  early  autumn, 
at  which  season  it  was  found  that  the  interest  in 
Sunday  schools,  both  on  the  part  of  teachers  and  of 
pupils,  was  apt  to  flag ;  and  several  such  meetings 
were  held  in  successive  years  with  profit,  and  to  the 
acceptance  of  all.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before 
there  was  a  falling-off  in  the  attendance  at  the  semi- 
annual meetings ;  and  the  last  attempt  of  the  kind 
was  a  failure.  It  was  concluded,  therefore,  to  return 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  265 

to  our  first  plan  of  having  but  one  meeting  in  the 
year,  and  to  make  that  an  object  of  as  much  interest 
and  attraction  as  possible.  Such  is  our  present  prac- 
tice ;  and  hitherto  our  success  has  been  satisfactory 
and  most  encouraging. 

In  the  great  temperance  movement  which  began 
to  attract  general  attention  about  forty  years  ago,  the 
Worcester  Association  took  an  early  and  active  part. 
Up  to  this  time,  it  was  the  custom  to  provide  for  our 
meetings  —  as,  indeed,  for  all  sociable  gatherings,  as 
well  as  for  private  and  domestic  use  —  decanters  of 
wine  and  strong  drinks,  of  which  we  were  all  ex- 
pected to  partake.  Indeed,  during  the  first  quarter 
of  the  present  century,  the  shocking  custom  pre- 
vailed, at  least  in  some  parts  of  New  England,  of 
passing  round  the  cup  on  funeral  occasions,  just  as 
the  band  of  mourners  were  preparing  to  follow  the 
body  of  their  friend  to  the  grave.  Alcoholic  drinks 
were  partaken  of  freely  by  ministers  and  laymen  at 
ordinations,  ecclesiastical  councils,  and  wherever 
numbers  were  collected  for  business  or  recreation. 
In  consequence  of  these  practices,  intemperance  had 
become  everywhere  alarmingly  prevalent ;  and  men 
and  women  too,  in  great  numbers,  fell  victims  to  the 
destroyer.  At  length,  thoughtful  and  patriotic  men 
became  alarmed,  and  were  led  to  inquire  if  any  thing 
could  be  done  to  stay  the  plague.  As  early  as  1813, 
the  Massachusetts  Society  for  the  Suppression  of  In- 
temperance was  formed,  of  which  Samuel  Dexter, 


266  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

Nathan  Dane  of  Beverly,  Chief- Justice  Parker,  and 
Dr.  John  C.  Warren,  were  successively  the  presiding 
officers,  and  which  embraced  the  leading  men,  minis- 
ters and  laymen,  in  Boston  and  other  parts  of  the 
Commonwealth,  then  including  the  State  of  Maine. 
These  men  were  pioneers  in  the  great  enterprise  ;  and 
though  groping  their  way  in  the  dark,  and  "  vaguely 
floundering  about,"  as  one  expresses  it,  "  as  in  a 
Slough  of  Despair,"  they  prepared  the  way  for 
the  splendid  triumphs  of  the  cause  in  subsequent 
times. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Worcester  Association  at 
Northborough,  Oct.  18,  1826,  a  committee,  consist- 
ing of  Dr.  Thayer  and  the  writer  of  these  sketches, 
was  appointed  to  consider  and  report  what  measures 
the  members  of  this  Association  should  individually 
adopt  for  the  prevention  and  suppression  of  intem- 
perance. 

April  18,  1827.  —  "The  committee  made  the 
following  report :  — 

"  Whereas,  The  excessive  use  of  ardent  spirits  is 
the  prevailing  vice  of  our  age  and  country,  —  is,  in 
our  belief,  unfitting  many,  who  would  without  this  be 
honorable  and  useful  members  of  society,  for  their 
common  and  religious  duties,  threatening  with  ruin 
their  earthly  condition,  character,  and  best  interests 
and  prospects  in  this  and  a  future  world ;  believing, 
also,  that  it  is  our  duty  as  Christians  and  as  ministers 
to  do  all  in  our  power  to  restrain  and  suppress  this 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  267 

most  alarming  vice,  and  to  rid  society  of  the  attend- 
ant and  consequent  evils,  — 

"  Therefore  resolved,  That  we  will,  as  individuals, 
be  examples  of  uniform  sobriety  in  the  use  of  ardent 
spirits ;  that  in  our  Association  they  shall  not  form  a 
part  of  the  usual  entertainment ;  that  we  will  not  in 
our  families  offer  or  receive  them  as  an  expression  of 
hospitality ;  that  we  will  continue  and  increase  our 
exertions,  by  private  and  public  instructions,  counsel, 
and  warnings,  to  awaken  a  general  alarm  at  the  ruin 
impending  over  the  community  from  the  sin  of  intem- 
perance, and  to  persuade  the  present  generation  to 
be  '  temperate  in  all  things.' 

"  We  further  recommend  to  the  Association  the 
expediency  of  appointing  a  committee  to  take  into 
consideration  the  subject  of  this  report,  and  to  pre- 
pare such  a  detail  of  facts  and  views  relating  to  the 
intemperate  use  of  ardent  spirits  as  may  be  proper 
and  useful,  under  the  sanction  of  this  body,  to  com- 
municate to  our  respective  congregations." 

The  report  was  accepted;  and  Messrs.  Allen  of 
Northborough,  Blanchard  of  Harvard,  and  Clarke 
of  Princeton,  were  appointed  a  committee  for  the 
purposes  designated. 

That  committee  reported  at  a  following  meeting, 
held  at  Princeton,  June  20  of  the  same  year,  which 
led  to  an  interesting  discussion,  but  to  no  definite 
action  ;  the  further  consideration  of  the  subject  being 
indefinitely  postponed.  Among  the  measures  reconi- 


268  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

mended  in  that  report,  as  I  well  remember,  was  the 
instituting  of  a  county  savings  bank,  as  an  encour- 
agement to  young  men  and  others  to  lay  up  a  portion 
of  their  wages,  instead  of  wasting  them,  as  was  too 
commonly  the  case,  in  taverns  and  tippling-houses. 
The  proposal  met  with  favor;  the  moderator,  Dr. 
Bancroft,  promised  to  talk  over  the  subject  with  the 
leading  men  of  Worcester ;  and  the  result  was  the 
formation  of  "  The  Worcester-county  Institution  of 
Savings,"  —  the  first  in  the  county,  and,  I  believe, 
in  America,  —  which  received  an  act  of  incorpora- 
tion the  following  winter.* 

I  think,  moreover,  that  I  am  not  mistaken  in 
ascribing  the  origin  of  the  semi-annual  meetings  of 
Unitarian  ministers  and  laymen,  since  known  as  the 
Autumnal  Conventions,  to  the  Worcester  Association. 
The  first  step  seems  to  have  been  taken  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Association  at  Worcester,  April  15,  1828;  at 
which  time,  the  record  says,  "  Brother  Hill,  not  hav- 
ing prepared  a  dissertation  on  the  subject  proposed, 
submitted  some  remarks  on  the  expediency  of  organ- 
izing a  Unitarian  association  in  the  county  of  Wor- 
cester." 

Again,  under  date  of  April  18,  1832,  we  find  that 


*  On  reading  this  account  at  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Association, 
some  of  the  older  members,  who  were  acquainted  with  the  circum- 
stance, insisted  that  I  should  state  the  fact,  that  the  first  suggestion 
of  the  measure  referred  to  in  the  text  came  from  Mrs.  Lucy  Clark  Allen, 
the  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Ware,  sen.,  and  the  wife  of  the  chair- 
man of  the  committee- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  269 

a  committee  was  appointed  "  to  confer  with  the  asso- 
ciations east  and  west  of  us  upon  the  subject  of  an 
annual  meeting  of  the  associations  in  one  body ; " 
and,  on  the  17th  of  the  following  October,  the  public 
services  in  the  church  (Lancaster)  were  conducted 
by  the  Worcester-county  Unitarian  Association, — 
addresses  being  made  by  Rev.  Mr.  Hill,  S.  M.  Burn- 
side,  Esq.,  Lovett  Peters,  Esq.,  Dr.  Parkman,  and 
Rev.  Messrs.  Hall  and  Sullivan. 

On  the  following  May,  Dr.  Bancroft,  as  one  of 
the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Worcester-county 
branch  of  the  American  Unitarian  Association,  made 
a  verbal  communication,  the  purport  of  which  was, 
that  "  it  was  the  intention  of  that  Association  to  hold 
two  semi-annual  meetings  in  different  parts  of  the 
county,  similar  to  the  one  held  at  Lancaster  the  last 
year ;  these  meetings  to  be  appointed  by  the  associa- 
tions of  ministers  in  the  east  and  west  parts  of  the 
county,  and  to  be  conducted  by  them,  provided  such 
arrangement  should  be  agreeable  to  these  associa- 
tions." With  this  proposal,  the  Worcester  Associa- 
tion voted  its  concurrence.  Accordingly,  on  the 
17th  of  the  following  April,  such  a  meeting  was  held 
at  Worcester,  which  took  the  place  of  one  of  the 
regular  meetings  of  the  Association. 

Under  date  of  July  11,  1842,  the  following  record 
was  made :  "  The  attention  of  the  Association  was 
called  in  regard  to  the  desirableness  of  a  meeting  of 
Unitarians  in  the  autumn,  for  the  purpose  of  awak- 


270  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

ening  mutual  sympathy,  and  considering  the  wants 
of  the  Unitarian  body.  Whereupon  it  was  voted, 
that  such  a  meeting  be  called  by  the  Worcester 
Association,  to  meet  in  Worcester  the  latter  part 
of  September.  Messrs.  Hill,  Allen,  and  Palfrey, 
and  Joseph  G.  Kendall  and  William  A.  Wheeler, 
Esqs.,  were  chosen  a  committee  to  make  arrange  - 
ments." 

At  a  subsequent  meeting  (Oct.  25),  it  was  voted, 
that  the  thanks  of  the  Association  be  presented  to 
Rev.  Mr.  Gannett,  for  his  sermon  preached  on  that 
occasion  at  their  request ;  also  to  Rev.  Mr.  Peabody, 
of  Portsmouth,  for  his  sermon  preached  on  the  same 
occasion,  Oct.  19.  This  was  the  first  of  that  series 
of  autumnal  conventions  which  have  been  held  in 
various  places  from  that  time  to  the  present,  and 
which  have  been  attended  with  so  gratifying  results. 

ACTION    OF    THE    ASSOCIATION    RELATING    TO 
THE   DIVINITY   SCHOOL   AT   CAMBRIDGE.* 

In  the  summer  of  the  year  1847,  the  Association 
took  the  initiative  in  some  action  rearardinof  the 

o  o 

Divinity  School  at  Cambridge.  In  an  address  to 
the  Alumni  of  the  school,  on  the  16th  of  July  of 


*  In  justice  to  an  esteemed  brother,  at  the  time  referred  to  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Association,  I  feel  bound  to  state,  that  I  am  indebted  to  Rev. 
E.  E.  Hale,  of  Boston,  for  the  succinct  account  which  follows.  The 
documents  from  which  it  was  compiled  are  now  in  my  possession. 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

that  year,  Dr.  Noyes,  then,  as  now,  one  of  its  profes- 
sors, had  made  an  earnest  appeal  for  some  enlarge- 
ment of  its  force  of  instruction.  The  Worcester 
Association  met  the  next  Tuesday,  and  took  this  sub- 
ject into  consideration.  The  plan  of  action  finally 
determined  on  in  the  Association  proposed  the  ap- 
pointment, in  the  school,  of  lecturers  not  permanently 
resident  there.  It  was  supposed  that  clergymen 
could  be  appointed  to  such  positions  without  leaving 
the  charge  of  their  parishes.  The  Association  de- 
termined to  suggest  this  plan  at  once,  —  with  the 
feeling  that  several  such  lecturers  could  be  appointed, 
—  and,  as  a  beginning,  voted  to  address  the  Corpo- 
ration of  the  University  on  the  subject,  offering  to 
bear  the  expense  of  one  such  lectureship ;  and  sug- 
gesting that  other  similar  bodies  or  societies,  inter- 
ested in  theological  education,  would  care  for  the 
endowment  of  others. 

A  letter  containing  this  proposal  was  sent  to  the 
Corporation  the  next  day.  The  Association  ex- 
pressed the  wish,  that,  in  case  their  proposal  was 
accepted,  Rev.  Cazneau  Palfrey,  who  had  then 
recently  closed  his  active  connection  with  their  body, 
might  be  named  as  the  first  lecturer  on  their  endow- 
ment. The  letter  of  their  committee  to  the  Corpora- 
tion thus  briefly  states  their  plan  :  — 

"  The  experience  of  the  colleges  of  Europe,  of 
all  the  medical  schools  in  our  own  country,  and 
many  of  the  law  and  theological  schools,  leads  us  to 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

consider  favorably  the  system  of  instruction  by  lec- 
tures. In  a  divinity  school,  where  two  gentlemen 
of  high  talent  are  retained  as  resident  professors,  we 
conceive  that  gentlemen  who  are  still  engaged  in  the 
practical  duties  of  our  profession  can  deliver  courses 
of  such  lectures,  of  great  value,  without  abandoning 
their  engagements  in  their  respective  parishes.  We 
suppose,  that,  if  the  subjects  of  such  courses  be  prop- 
erly limited,  the  ministers  of  most  worth  in  our 
denomination  may  be  called  in  thus,  to  increase  the 
power  of  the  school ;  and  may  furnish  instruction 
and  influence  of  the  greatest  value  to  the  student. 

"  If  we  rightly  understand  the  original  plan  of  the 
Dexter  Lectureship  of  Biblical  Criticism,  the  method 
of  action  which  it  proposed  is  that  which  has  thus 
recommended  itself  to  us. 

"  We  remember  also,  that  the  late  Dr.  Henry 
Ware,  jun.,  advocated  such  a  system  of  relieving  the 
professors  from  some  of  their  onerous  duties." 

The  Corporation  declined  the  proposal  at  their 
next  meeting.  But  the  letter  of  President  Everett, 
accompanying  this  vote,  seemed  to  show  that  it 
might  be  possible  to  arrange  some  plan  agreeable  to 
that  body.  When  it  was  laid  before  the  Association, 
therefore,  at  a  meeting  held  at  Leicester,  jointly  with 
the  Worcester  West  Association,  the  two  associations 
jointly  voted  to  offer  to  the  Corporation  an  annual 
contribution  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  towards 
the  purpose  proposed,  whenever  such  an  enterprise 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  273 

might  be  undertaken.     In  reply  to  this  offer,   Mr. 
Everett  asked  if  the  Association  would  not  attempt  to 
unite  the  different  societies  and  associations  interested 
in  the  object  in  some  plan  sufficiently  extensive,  defi- 
nite, and  permanent,  to  meet  the  whole  exigency.     In 
compliance  with  this  request,  the  Association,  by  a 
committee    appointed    for    the   purpose,   invited   the 
various  ministerial  associations  —  the  Unitarian  As- 
sociation   of   New    York,    the    American    Unitarian 
Association,   and  the   Society  for  the  Promotion   of 
Theological  Education  —  to  send  delegates  to  a  meet- 
ing in  Boston  on  the  9th  of  March,  1848,  to  consider 
this  subject.     This  meeting  was  held,  and  attended 
by   a  large  number  of  delegates,  who  showed  great 
interest  in  the  object  sought,  and  a  hearty  readiness 
to  co-operate.     A  committee  of  the  Worcester  As- 
sociation   had    previously  met    a    committee   of   the 
Boston   Association   and   Rev.    Dr.   Walker,    of  the 
Corporation ;  and,  after  their  conference  together,  a 
plan  drawn  up  by  Rev.  Dr.  Lothrop  was  submitted 
to  the  meeting  of  delegates,  and  approved  by  them. 
The  plan  contemplated  an  addition  to  the  endowment 
of  the  Hollis  Professorship,  sufficient  to  enable  the 
Corporation  to  fill   that    professorship    at    once.      It 
contemplated  also  the  appointment  of  a  "  Preacher 
to  the  University  and  Professor  of  Pulpit  Eloquence." 
To  meet  the  demands  necessary  for  these  endowments 
for  ten  years,  the  meeting  made  arrangements  to  raise 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  two  thousand  dollars  annu- 

18 


274  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

ally  for  ten  years.  It  also  proposed  to  endow  two 
lectureships,  one  on  Early  Ecclesiastical  History,  one 
on  the  Pastoral  Care.  The  Boston  Association  un- 
dertook to  meet  the  expense  of  the  first  of  these ; 
and  the  other  ministerial  associations  represented  at 
the  meeting,  to  meet  the  expense  of  the  other. 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Dr.  S.  K.  Lothrop, 
Dr.  E.  B.  Hall,  and  Rev.  E.  E.  Hale,  presented  these 
proposals  to  the  Corporation.  They  had  been 
informally  considered  in  that  body,  and  it  was  sup- 
posed that  they  were  approved  there.  In  the  con- 
versation which  took  place  on  the  subject,  it  had 
been  supposed  that  Dr.  Peabody,  of  Portsmouth, 
would  be  appointed  the  "  Hollis  Professor  of  Divinity 
and  University  Professor  of  Christian  Evidences  and 
Theology;"  that  Dr.  Dewey,  of  New  York,  would 
be  "  Preacher  to  the  University  and  Professor  of 
Pulpit  Eloquence ;  "  and  that  Dr.  Lamson,  of  Ded- 
ham,  and  Rev.  Calvin  Lincoln,  of  Fitchburg,  would 
be  the  two  lecturers.  It  was  known  that  the  Corpo- 
ration wished,  if  possible,  to  connect  these  gentlemen 
with  the  University. 

This  plan  was  submitted  to  the  Corporation  of  the 
University  on  the  25th  of  March,  1848.  But  it 
failed  to  receive  that  approval  which  had  been  confi- 
dently relied  upon.  When  the  subject  was  brought 
in  form  before  the  Corporation,  that  body  determined 
to  give  its  assent  to  no  plan  under  which  the  same 
officers  should  render  services  in  the  college  and  in 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  275 

the  Divinity  School.  The  committee  which  reported 
on  the  subject  said,  that  the  mixed  arrangement  by 
which  professors  in  the  Divinity  School  rendered 
services  in  the  college  chapel,  and  the  Hollis  Pro- 
fessor rendered  service  in  the  school,  had  always  been 
objectionable  on  both  sides.  So  unwilling  was  the 
Corporation  to  continue  it  or  to  appear  to  counte- 
nance it,  that  they  declined  the  proposal  made  by  the 
committee  of  the  Liberal  clergy,  even  after,  as  had 
been  supposed,  it  had  been  arranged  in  all  points  in 
deference  to  their  views.  This  point  may  be  taken, 
perhaps,  as  the  period  in  the  history  of  the  University 
when  the  Corporation  resolved  on  the  policy  of  sep- 
ai'ating  the  Divinity  School  from  it,  if  possible,  and  to 
relieve  themselves  wholly  of  its  care. 

With  this  refusal  on  the  part  of  the  Corporation, 
the  plan  fell  wholly  through.  The  system  of  lecture- 
ships, precisely  as  suggested  by  the  Worcester  Asso- 
ciation in  1847,  was  revived  ten  years  after,  when 
Dr.  Hedge  and  Dr.  Ellis  were  appointed,  on  such 
foundations,  professors  of  Ecclesiastical  History  and 
of  Dogmatic  Theology.  In  I860,  Dr.  Andrew  P. 
Peabody  was  appointed  Preacher  to  the  University, 
twelve  years  after  the  proposal  was  declined  by  the 
College  Corporation. 

This  Association  has  not  been  indifferent  to  the 
wants  of  sister  churches  within  and  without  their  ter- 
ritorial limits ;  and,  either  as  individuals  or  in  their 


276  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

associate  capacity,  they  have  lent  their  aid  to  various 
objects  of  general  philanthropy. 

The  Worcester-County  Bible  Society,  founded  in 
1816,  derived  a  large  portion  of  its  funds,  during 
the  first  ten  or  twelve  years  of  its  existence,  from  the 
several  religious  societies  connected  with  the  Worces- 
ter and  the  Worcester  West  Associations  ;  and,  during 
this  period,  most  of  the  officers  of  the  Bible  Society 
were  members  of  the  Worcester  Association. 

The  profits  accruing  from  the  sale  of  several  edi- 
tions of  the  "  Worcester  Catechism "  were,  as  we 
have  seen,  paid  into  the  treasury  of  the  Evangelical 
Missionary  Society ;  and  annual  contributions,  for  a 
succession  of  years,  have  been  made  by  some  of  our 
churches  for  the  same  object. 

After  the  formation  of  the  American  Unitarian 
Association,  in  1825,  most  of  our  contributions  for 
the  aid  of  feeble  churches,  and  for  the  spread  of  Lib- 
eral Christianity,  were  made  through  this  channel ; 
and,  though  our  efforts  in  this  direction  have  been 
inexcusably  feeble,  we  think,  at  least,  that  we  have 
not  been  more  delinquent  than  our  sister  churches  in 
other  places. 

In  some  instances,  we  have  selected  particular 
churches  to  be  the  recipients  of  our  contributions. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Association  at  Worcester, 
October,  1848,  the  condition  of  the  society  at  Upton, 
struggling  nobly  for  existence,  was  presented  by 
brother  Tenney ;  and,  on  motion  of  brother  Hill,  it 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  277 

was  voted,  "that  Rev.  Mr.  Tenney  be  requested  to 
state  to  the  society  in  Upton,  that  this  Association 
will  raise  one  hundred  dollars  for  their  use." 

Through  the  agency  of  this  Association,  in  concert 
with  members  of  the  First  Congregational  Society  in 
Westborough,  efforts  were  made  to  relieve  that  so- 
ciety from  the  pressure  of  a  debt  of  long  standing,  in 
the  confident  hope,  that,  by  the  removal  of  this  incum- 
brance,  the  society,  which,  by  great  personal  sacri- 
fices and  praiseworthy  exertions,  had  sustained  itself 
amidst  many  discouragements,  would  become  a  strong 
and  self-sustaining  society.  For  this  object,  liberal 
contributions  were  made  by  the  societies  connected 
with  this  body ;  and  our  appeal  made  to  other 
churches,  without  our  borders,  met  with  a  favorable 
response. 

At  length,  it  was  agreed  that  the  several  societies 
connected  with  the  Association  should  be  called  upon 
to  raise  a  sum  sufficient  to  redeem  a  mortgage  held 
on  the  church  buildings,  the  mortgage  being  trans- 
ferred to  the  Association  ;  and,  in  order  to  make  the 
transaction  legal,  the  Association  took  measures  to 
become  a  body  corporate,  adopting  a  new  Constitu- 
tion, the  main  article  of  which  is  as  follows  :  — 

"  ART.  3.  Members  of  this  Corporation  shall  be 
the  ministers  of  the  Second  Congregational  Parish 

o         O 

and  of  the  Church  of  the  Unity  of  Worcester,  of  the 
First  Congregational  Parish  in  the  town  of  Grafton, 
the  First  Unitarian  Society  in  the  town  of  Upton,  the 


278  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

First  Congregational  Parish  in  the  town  of  "West- 
borough,  the  First  Congregational  Parish  in  the  town 
of  Northborough,  the  First  Congregational  Parish  in 
the  town  of  Bolton,  the  First  Congregational  Parish 
in  the  town  of  Harvard,  the  First  Congregational 
Parish  in  the  town  of  Lancaster,  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Parish  in  the  town  of  Clinton,  the  First  Con- 
gregational Parish  in  the  town  of  Sterling,  the 
First  Congregational  Parish  in  the  town  of  Leomin- 
ster,  the  First  Congregational  Parish  in  the  town  of 
Fitchburg,  the  First  Congregational  Parish  in  the 
town  of  Lunenburg,  in  the  county  of  Worcester ; 
and  the  minister  or  ministers  of  the  West  Parish  in 
the  town  of  Marlborough,  in  the  county  of  Middle- 
sex, and  their  successors  ;  also,  the  ministers  of  such 
other  parishes  in  the  above-named  towns  or  city,  or 
of  such  parishes  in  the  towns  of  Shrewsbury,  West 
Boylston,  Boylston,  Berlin,  and  Southborough,  in 
the  county  of  Worcester,  which  may  now  exist,  or 
shall  hereafter  be  formed,  their  successors,  as  the  Cor- 
poration shall,  from  time  to  time,  elect  to  its  body." 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1864,  this  article  was 
amended  so  as  to  read  as  follows :  — 

"ART.  3.  The  members  of  this  Association  shall 
consist  of  the  present  members,  and  such  other  per- 
sons as  may,  from  time  to  time,  be  duly  elected  into 
the  Association,  by  a  majority-vote  of  the  members 
present  at  any  meeting  called  for  the  election  of 
members." 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  279 

At  an  earlier  date,  viz.  June  25,  1861,  it  was 
voted,  "  That  all  members  of  the  Old  Worcester  As- 
sociation, and  all  present  or  future  members  of  this 
body  who  shall  vacate  their  parishes  within  the  As- 
sociation, retain  their  ministerial  relations  to  it  while 
they  remain  within  its  territorial  limits." 

In  April,  1863,  by  request  of  the  Union  Society 
in  Feltonville  (now  Hudson),  that  parish  was  recog- 
nized as  belonging  to  the  Worcester  Association  ;  and 
their  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  McDaniel,  was  admitted  as  a 
member. 

It  was  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  new  organization, 
April  24,  1861,  that  Rev.  Dr.  Hill,  by  request  of  the 
Association,  presented  the  following  offer  addressed 
to  the  Governor  of  the  State  :  — 

"  To  His  EXCELLENCY  GOVERNOR  ANDREW. 

"  The  subscribers,  members  of  the  Worcester  Asso- 
ciation, heartily  sympathizing  with  their  people  at  this 
great  crisis  of  the  country's  peril,  hereby  cheerfully 
offer  their  services  to  the  Government  as  chaplains, 
to  be  attached  to  such  regiments  as  may  be  judged 
advisable  ;  provided,  however,  that  they  accept  com- 
missions only  with  the  approbation  and  consent  of 
their  several  parishes." 

But,  as  some  had  already  offered  their  services  as 
chaplains,  it  was  thought  better  to  leave  each  one  to 
consider  what  his  own  duty  was,  and  to  act  accord- 
ingly- 


280  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

Of  the  members,  past  and  present,  of  the  Worces- 
ter Association,  who  served  as  chaplains  in  the  army, 
were  the  following :  Stephen  Barker,  14th  Reg. 
Mass.  Vol.;  George  S.  Ball,  21st  Reg.  Mass.  Vol.; 
William  G.  Scandlin,  15th  Reg.  Mass.  Vol.  ;  E.  B. 
Fairchild  ;  Samuel  W.  McDaniel,  34th  Reg.  Mass. 
Vol.;  Gilbert  Cummings,  51st  Reg.  Mass.  Vol. 
While  in  this  service,  Rev.  Mr.  Scandlin  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  was  confined  in  Libby  Prison,  Rich- 
mond, several  months. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  sketches,  that  this 
Association  has  ever  kept  in  view  the  objects  for 
which  it  was  instituted ;  viz.,  the  theological  and 
religious  culture  of  its  members,  and  the  promotion 
of  Christian  knowledge  and  piety  in  their  respective 
parishes,  and  throughout  the  world.  It  seems  to 
have  been  the  earnest  endeavor  of  the  members 
to  make  their  meetings,  not  merely  pleasant  re- 
unions, or  the  occasions  of  drawing  closer  the  bonds 
of  personal  friendship,  but  also  the  means  of  intel- 
lectual and  spiritual  life  and  growth. 

The  Worcester  Association  has  occupied  an  hon- 
orable rank  among  similar  associations  in  this  Com- 
monwealth, as  a  living,  active,  working  body.  Such, 
at  least,  is  the  reputation  it  has  enjoyed  ;  and,  with- 
out claiming  any  thing  for  the  members  of  which  it 
is  at  present  composed,  justice  to  the  absent  and  the 
departed  demands  that  it  should  be  said,  that  that 
reputation  was  earned  by  meritorious  services  in  the 
cause  of  truth  and  freedom  and  practical  religion. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  281 

We  confess  that  we  are  jealous  of  its  honor :  and 
it  is  our  earnest  desire,  and  it  shall  be  our  fervent 
prayer,  that  its  integrity  and  honor  may  be  main- 
tained and  perpetuated  ;  that  its  activity  and  useful- 
ness may  be  greatly  increased ;  that  as  the  fathers 
are  not  suffered  to  remain,  and  the  prophets  do  not 
live  for  ever,  the  sons  of  the  prophets  may  rise  up  in 
their  fathers'  stead ;  and  that  there  may  be  a  succes- 
sion of  pastors  and  teachers  imbued  with  the  spirit 
of  "  the  Master,"  who  shall  enter  into  their  labors, 
and  carry  forward  the  work  of  the  Lord  with 
stronger  hearts  and  a  truer  success. 

I  feel  at  liberty  to  introduce  the  following  extract 
from  a  letter  I  received  some  months  since  from  a 
dear  friend,  a  former  member  of  the  Worcester 
Association,  written  during  his  residence  in  Nice, 
on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean. 

"  Your  discourse  [semicentennial]  recalls  many 
memories,  now  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  old  :  not 
long,  indeed,  yet  how  many,  then  acting,  gone  ! 
Never  can  I  forget  the  pleasant  meetings  of  our 
Association,  when,  with  our  clear  wives,  we  came 
monthly  together  for  mutual  greeting  and  common 
counsel.  You  will  remember  we  assembled  on  a 
Tuesday  afternoon,  quartered  among  the  hospitable 
families  of  the  parish,  and  in  the  evening  held  our 
public  services,  with  sermon,  followed  by  an  im- 
pressive administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  The 
following  morning,  about  nine  o'clock,  we  all  assem- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 


bled  at  the  house  of  our  brother,  who,  after  an 
invocation,  read  a  dissertation,  at  whose  close  re- 
marks were  offered  from  the  juniors  to  the  elders. 
I  well  remember  one  of  our  meetings,  at  the  house 
of  our  brother  of  Lancaster.  The  subject  on  which 
he  had  prepared  himself  was  the  '  plenary  inspira- 
tion of  the  Scriptures,'  which  he  discussed  with  the 
plenitude  of  a  deep  thought,  calm  conviction,  and 
poetic  imagery,  characteristic  of  his  rare  powers  and 
true  spirit.  I  cannot  recall  the  particular  views 
presented  in  the  discussion  which  followed  ;  but  well 
do  I  remember  how  it  brought  out  the  dialectic  skill 
of  our  brother  of  Leominster  ;  the  calm,  lucid  sense 
of  our  learned  brother  of  Grafton  ;  the  earnest,  im- 
pressive argumentation  of  those  of  Worcester  and 
Fitchburg  ;  and  the  bold,  unflinching  logic  of  our 
brother  of  Sterling  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  large, 
practised  wisdom  of  the  elders  and  others  in  our 
fraternity.  I  am  not  aware  that  I  was  ever  present 
on  a  similar  occasion  more  interesting.  I  well  re- 
member it  required  some  skill,  when  we  assembled 
as  usual  at  our  noon  repast,  to  banish  all  dialectics, 
and  give  free  vent  to  the  more  social  entertainment 
of  the  festive  hour.  One  thing  I  can  say,  that,  in  a 
discussion  so  likely  to  bring  out  all  eccentricity  of 
opinion,  we  were  never  shocked  by  a  bald  '  rational- 
ism,' or  '  irreverent  handling  of  God's  word,'  such 
as  have  been  so  often  made  the  flippant  reproach  of 
us  ;  but  all  seemed  true,  earnest  seekers  for  the  sub- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  283 

lime  truth,  which  each  mind  was  fain  to  reach.  Ah, 
how  little  is  understood,  even  now,  the  'liberty  of 
the  sons  of  God,'  the  toleration  of  Christian  brother- 
hood, seeking  ever  '  the  truth  in  love  ! '  I  cannot 
recall,  in  all  my  cherished  memories  of  the  Worcester 
Association,  a  single  example  of  intolerance  on  the 
part  of  the  brethren,  or  one  of  extreme  trespass  on 
their  patience.  Why  cannot  all  Christians  be  thus 
trustful,  patient,  tolerant ;  leaving  with  God  '  the 
things  of  God '  ?  We  serve,  not  rule  ;  not  as  having 
*  dominion,'  but  *  helpers.'  Man  passes  :  the  truth 
abides. 

"  Were  it  not  an  intrusion  on  your  better  knowl- 
edge, I  would  gladly  say  more  of  some  named  in 
your  discourse,  —  of  Bancroft,  primus  omnium,  the 
Nestor  of  the  Association,  whom  I  knew  only  in  his 
green  old  age,  but  who  yet,  and  to  the  last,  retained 
the  dignified  presence,  calm  wisdom,  and  genial 
sympathies,  which  made  his  words  weighty,  and  his 
very  presence  an  inspiration  and  a  benediction. 
More  I  knew  personally  of  Dr.  Thayer,  of  Lancas- 
ter, from  whom  I  received  the  *  charge,'  at  my  own 
ordination,  near  forty  years  since.  His  ample  brow, 
hardly  frosted  ;  his  commanding  yet  benignant  air ; 
his  slow,  distinct,  impressive  enunciation,  enforced 
by  the  true  ore  rotunda  (rarely  equalled)  ;  his  simple, 
clear,  sound  reasoning,  never  wearing  by  prolixity, 
always  pertinent  and  persuasive,  —  all' conspired  to 
give  him  a  pre-eminence,  which  all  conceded,  all  felt. 


284  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

We  shall  not  soon  look  upon  his  like  again.  One 
proof  of  his  rare  combination  of  the  best  qualities 
of  a  New-England  pastor  was,  that,  while  he  ever 
commanded  the  respect  and  friendship  of  men  of 
culture  and  position,  he  equally  attracted  the  warm 
confidence,  sympathy,  and  affection  of  the  humblest 
of  his  flock.  I  ought  not  to  pass  by  one  name,  remem- 
bered by  me  with  particular  respect  and  affection, — 
our  long-since  departed  brother,  once  of  Harvard, 
after  of  South  Natick,  where  he  ended  a  life  of  faith- 
ful ministerial  service,  whose  promised  usefulness 
and  honor  had  ever  the  sad  drawback  of  enfeebled 
health.  It  was  my  privilege  to  see  him  often  and 
know  him  well,  in  his  later  years,  when  his  suffering 
was  soothed,  and  his  beautiful  home  was  cheered  by 
the  yet  surviving  partner  of  his  struggling  life,  who 
recalls  to  us  always  a  name  honored  at  Harvard  and 
in  the  churches.  Our  dear  brother,  whose  early  aca- 
demic honors  and  really  superior  powers  seemed  to 
promise  a  high  place  of  usefulness  and  distinction, 
will  always  live  in  my  memory,  associated  with  the 
beaming  intelligence  of  his  eye,  his  courteous  man- 
ners, and  his  large  information  in  theology  and  letters. 
I  cannot  stay  these  hasty  reminiscences  without 
naming  one  other,  —  your  namesake,  of  Bolton  — 
whose  sound  sense,  straightforward  truth  and  frank- 
ness, ready,  sparkling  humor,  and  genial,  social 
qualities,  made  his  presence  ever  welcome  in  the 
pulpit  or  among  his  brethren.  You  well  know  his 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  285 

physical  infirmity.  What  in  others  might  have 
seemed  a  Levitical  disqualification  never  appeared 
either  to  impair  his  professional  dignity,  or  to  abate 
the  cheerfulness  of  his  social  character.  On  one 
occasion  in  my  family,  when  some  encomium  was 
given  on  his  unflagging  spirits  and  joyous  tempera- 
ment, he  remcirked  one  could  little  know  at  what 
cost  they  were  maintained.  In  the  frankness  of  the 
moment,  he  divulged  that  he  scarcely  ever  passed  a 
night  without  so  severe  bodily  suffering  as  to  oblige 
him  to  rise  from  his  bed,  and  pace  his  room,  to  obtain 
a  temporary  relief  from  almost  insupportable  pain. 
Our  good  '  Father  Allen '  (an  epithet  all  spontane- 
ously gave  him)  was  always  a  favorite  in  my  pulpit. 
His  crisp,  terse  way  of  expressing  a  homely  yet 
pregnant  thought,  with  the  added  charms  of  his 
genial  humor,  and  the  twinkling  of  his  mirthful  eye, 
accompanying  his  rapid  utterance  (hardly  impaired 
by  an  imperfect  command  of  the  labial  organs  of 
speech),  rarely  failed  to  interest  his  auditory,  espe- 
cially where  his  personal  probity,  truth,  and  gener- 
osity were  known.  For,  after  all,  the  man  lies 
behind,  and  inspires  all  true  power  in  the  pulpit,  as 
in  all  other  important  spheres. 

In  speaking  above  of  Dr.  Thayer,  I  was  reminded 
of  one,  a  layman,  connected  with  him  by  family 
ties,  —  the  Hon.  C.  G.  Atherton,  of  Amherst,  N.H., 
—  who,  with  the  long-since  departed  Colonl  W.  A. 
Kent,  of  Concord,  and  others,  did  for  Liberal  Chris- 


286  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

tianity  in  that  State,  what  was  so  ably  done  by  the 
Storys,  Lowells,  Whites,  Sullivans,  (where  shall  I 
end  ? )  in  Massachusetts.  Our  lay-helpers  in  the 
great  work  of  vindicating  and  carrying  forward  a 
liberal  faith  merit  a  high  place  in  the  record  of  New- 
England  church  history. 


List  of  Subjects  for  Essays  and  Discussions  at  its  Public  Meet- 
ings, adopted  by  the  Worcester  Association.     1862. 

1.  The  Nature  and  Origin  of  Christian  Churches;  including 
the  question,  whether  any  plan  or  form  of  a  church  was  ever  laid 
down  by  Christ  or  his  Apostles. 

2.  Episcopacy,  Presbyterianism,  Congregationalism,  and  In- 
dependency, as  Forms  of  Church  Government. 

3.  The  Organization  of  our  Parishes  and  Churches:  how  can 
it  be  rendered  more  efficient  ? 

4.  Church  Art,  and  the  Value  of  Emblems  in  Religion. 

5.  Hymns  and  Choirs,  with  some  criticism  of  the  different 
hymn-books  in  use  in  our  churches. 

6.  The  Importance  of  Preaching  compared  with  other  parts 
of  Public  Worship  ;  with  some  remarks  upon  the  custom  of  hav- 
ing two  sermons  on   Sunday  ;  also  upon  the  question  whether 
any  thing  better  than  a  sermon  can  be  substituted  for  it  in  the 
public  service  for  either  half  of  the  day. 

7.  Clerical  Morals  and  Manners. 

8.  The  Difference  between  the  Ministerial  and  the  Priestly 
Office ;  and  what  foundation  or  authority  has  either  in  the  Chris- 
tian Scriptures  or  the  wants  of  the  Church  ? 

9.  The  Press,  the  Lyceum,  and  the  Pulpit. 

10.  The   Duty  and  Concern   of  the    Country   Minister,  in 
schools,  lyceums,  farmers'  clubs,  and  free  town-libraries ;  or  in 
any  other  means  of  promoting,  not  only  general  intelligence,  but 
a  knowledge  of  educational,  economical,  and  esthetical  princi- 
ples, and  the  practical  application  of  them  to  the  increase  of 
general  thrift,  refinement,  and  social  happiness. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  287 

11.  Epitaphs  and  Obituaries,  and  the  Good  and  Bad  there  is 
in  Eulogies;  with  some  remarks  on  funeral  customs,  modes  of 
burial,   laying-out   of  cemeteries,  head-stones,  monuments,  in- 
scriptions, &c. 

12.  Right  and  Expediency. 

13.  The  Doctrine  of  Reserve  in  the  Communication  of  Truth, 
especially  of  Religious  Truth.     Should  our  views  of  truth  ever 
be  accommodated  to  the  ignorance  or  prejudice  of  others? 

14.  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Testament  and  of  Christian 
Morality  concerning  War  and  Peace. 

15.  Atheism,  Deism,  Rationalism,  and  Scepticism. 

16.  What  is  Religion,  and  the  Difference  between  Natural 
Theology  and  Natural  Religion  ? 

1 7.  The  Moral  Views  or  Doctrines  of  the  Ancient  Hebrews  : 
their  excellencies  and  defects.     What  did  they  do  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  Christian  doctrine,  or  the  reverse  ? 

18.  The  Peculiar  and  Essential  Principles  of  the  Morality  of 
the  Gospel ;  including  the  question,  whether  it  is  in  any  sense 
new  or  original;  and  also  some  comparison  of  philosophic   or 
systematic   morality  therewith. 

19.  Does  the  first  Development  of  the  Religious  Sentiment 
in  Man  lead  to  the  Notion  of  Unity,  or  is  Polytheism  the  earlier 
Religion   of  Man  V    and,  if  the   former,  how   did   the   Gentile 
Monotheism   become   corrupted   while    the   Judaical   remained 
pure  ? 

20.  The  Mosaic  Cosmogony  as  compared  with  other  Cosmogo- 
nies, and  viewed  in  relation  to  Modern  Science. 

21.  The  Garden  of  Eden,  or  the  ancient  Jewish  Theory  of 
Sin.      The   first    Sin    and   its    Consequences.       Who    was  the 
Tempter?     Traditions  of  the  Fall  and  of  the  Serpent  in  Pro- 
fane History.    The  belief  of  the  Jews  and  of  other  nations  in  an 
evil  Spirit  called  the   Devil,  compared  with  the  description  of 
Satan  in  the  Hook  of  Job. 

22.  The  Unity  of  the  Race. 

23.  The  Jewish  Sabbath  and  the  Lord's  Day;  the  origin  and 
authority  of  each;  with  the  use  and  abuse  of  Sunday. 

24.  An  Estimate  of  the  Character  of  Moses  as  a  Statesman, 
Legislator,  and  Moralist. 


288  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

25.  The  Morality  of  Judaism,  as  illustrated  in  the  Book  of 
Proverbs. 

26.  The  Persian  Religion,  Fire-worship,  Astrology,  and  the 
Doctrine  of  Zoroaster. 

27.  The  Doctrine  of  a  Future  State,  as  it  may  be  collected 
from  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  opinion  of  the  Jews  in  the 
time  of  our  Saviour  respecting  such  a  state. 

28.  Dreams  or  Visions  in  general,  and  more  particularly  in 
the  Old  Testament  and  the  New. 

29.  The  Power  of  the  Body  over  the  Mind,  and  the  Connec- 
tion of  Physical  Influences  with  Religious  Feelings. 

30.  How  has  Christianity  affected  the  History  of  Mankind? 

31.  The  Worcester  Association:  what  can  we  do  to  elevate 
its  character,  and  increase  its  usefulness  ? 

32.  Mahometanism :   its   Theology  and   Morality   compared 
with  that  of  Christianity,  and  the  relation  of  the  Koran  to  the 
Hebrew  and  Christian  literature. 

33.  The  Classical  Mythology. 

34.  Compare  the  Doctrine  of  Incarnation,  in  Christianity  and 
in  Buddhism. 

35.  The  Relation  of  Christianity  to  Judaism,  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament and  in  the  New  Testament;  including  quotations  from 
the  Old  Testament  by  the  writers  of  the  New. 

36.  The  Acts  and  Letters  of  the  Apostles  ;  or  Christianity  as 
preached  and  as  developed  immediately  after  the  death  of  its 
Founder. 

37.  The  Design  of  the  Gospel  of  John :  its  peculiar  charac- 
teristics and  their  causes. 

38.  On  the  Teachings  of  Christ,  with  particular  reference  to 
the  degree  in  which  he  adapted  his  language  to  the  state  of 
mind  of  his  hearers. 

39.  The  Doctrine  of  Angels. 

40.  Conversion  and  Baptism:  what  is  each,  and  the  change 
in  the  significance  of  both  in  the  case  of  those  born  of  Christian 
instead  of  heathen  parents  ?    What  was  the  usual  mode  of  bap- 
tism in  the  time  of  our  Saviour?    and  is  there  any  mode  of 
baptism,  which,  more  than  any  other,  may  be  supposed  to  have 
the  sanction  of  Jesus,  or  of  the  Apostles,  or  of  the  primitive 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  289 

Church  ?  What  distinction  is  there  between  the  baptism  and 
christening  or  dedication  of  children?  —  with  some  remarks  on 
the  significance  of,  and  the  choice  between,  different  names 
given  to  children  in  our  day. 

41.  Theology  and  Christianity:  what  have  they  in' common, 
and  in  what  respects  do  they  differ  V 

42.  Paul's  Idea  of  Christ. 

43.  Paul's  Idea  of  Salvation. 

44.  Prophets  and  Prophecies. 

45.  The    Teaching    of   the  Hebrew   Prophets    concerning 
Christ. 

46.  What  is  to   be   understood   by  the    Gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  ? 

47.  The  Nature  and  Value  of  the  Christian  Ordinances  of 
Communion  and  Baptism. 

48.  Is  there  any  Absolute  Evil  ? 

49.  Foundation,  Nature,  and  Development  of  the  Christian 
Consciousness. 

50.  What  is   Spiritism,  its  reliability  and  importance,  in   a 
religious  point  of  view  ? 

51.  The  Nature  and  Value  of  Swedenborgianism  as  a  Theo- 
logical System. 

52.  The  Nature  and  Influence  of  Divine  Inspiration  on  Man, 
and  Book  Revelations. 

53.  The  Characteristics  of  an  Eflicient  and  Useful  Christian 
Ministry. 

54.  What  Connection  has  Christianity  with  Religious  Sys- 
tems of  Former  Times  ?  Is  it  to  destroy  them  at  once,  as  hostile 
to  the  wants  of  mankind,  or  is  it  to  accept  and  improve  what  is 
good  and  true  in  them  ? 

55.  The   Foundation  of  Human  Action :   is  it  the  desire  of 
happiness,  or  the  attainment,  of  virtue  'i 

5<>.  The  Nature  and  Importance  of  Ecclesiastical  Councils,  in 
the  Settlement  of  Ministers  of  the  Gospel. 

57.  The  Gospel  a  Power:  the  philosophy  of  its  influence  on 
the  lives  and  characters  of  men.  Is  there  any  known  natural 
power  by  which  its  influence  on  the  souls  of  men  can  be  ex- 
plained ? 

19 


290  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

58.  Do  we,  as  a  Christian  Denomination,  need  to  adopt  a  ves- 
per or  liturgical  service  ?     If  so,  should  it  be  written  or  unwrit- 
ten V 

59.  The  Comparative  Importance  of  Unction  and  Learning 
in  the  Christian  Ministry. 


EEV.  IRA   HENRY   THOMAS   BLANCHARD. 

Among  our  departed  brethren,  we  recall,  with 
feelings  of  affectionate  respect,  the  memory  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Blanchard,  of  Harvard.  His  connection  with 
the  Worcester  Association  dates  from  May  20,  1823; 
and  during  his  ministry  in  Harvard,  till  his  health 
failed,  he  was  seldom  absent  from  our  meetings. 

He  was  born  in  Wey mouth,  Sept.  9,  1797,  and 
was  the  son  of  Josiah  and  Elizabeth  Blanchard.  He 
pursued  his  classical  studies  at  first  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Rev.  Thomas  Williams,  of  that  place  ;  and 
subsequently  at  Derby  Academy,  Hingham,  of  which 
Rev.  Daniel  Kimball  was  the  Principal.  He  entered 
college  with  the  class  that  graduated  in  1817  ;  being 
a  classmate  of  Bancroft  the  historian,  of  Caleb  Gush- 
ing, Samuel  J.  May,  and  others  who  have  risen  to 
distinction.  He  held  a  respectable  rank  as  a  scholar  ; 
and,  throughout  his  college  course,  sustained  an  un- 
blemished reputation.  Young  and  inexperienced  as 
he  was,  he  needed  the  counsels  of  a  judicious  friend  ; 
and  to  President  Kirkland  he  felt  under  ceaseless 
obligations  for  many  proofs  of  a  truly  paternal  regard. 
Being  of  a  feeble  constitution,  and  subject  all  his  life- 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  291 

time  to  attacks  of  illness,  he  could  not  pursue  his 
collegiate  studies  with  that  persistent  application 
required  for  the  attainment  of  the  highest  honors : 
but  he  faithfully  used  the  talents  and  the  strength 
which  were  given  him ;  and  a  highly  respectable  part 
was  assigned  him  at  the  Commencement,  when  he 
took  his  first  degree. 

On  leaving  college,  he  spent  one  year,  as  private 
tutor,  in  the  family  of  Hon.  Robert  H.  Goldsborough, 
then  a  United-States  Senator  from  Maryland,  where 
he  received  the  most  gratifying  proofs  of  attachment 
and  respect.  In  1818,  he  returned  home;  and,  hav- 
ing chosen  his  profession,  he  entered  the  Theological 
Seminary  in  Andover.  Owing  to  the  state  of  his 
health,  and  other  causes,  he  left  that  institution  at 
the  end  of  the  year ;  soon  after  which,  he  received 
the  appointment  of  tutor  in  Harvard  College,  the 
duties  of  which  office  he  faithfully  discharged,  de- 
voting his  leisure  hours  to  the  study  of  theology. 
In  1821,  he  was  licensed  by  the  Boston  Association 
as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry  ;  and,  in  September 
of  that  year,  he  went  to  Eastport,  where  he  supplied 
the  pulpit  for  six  months,  and  was  urged  to  remain 
as  the  pastor  of  that  church.  Declining  the  call  on 
account  of  his  feeble  health,  he  returned  in  the 
spring  much  exhausted. 

The  following  August  [1822],  he  was  requested 
by  a  friend  to  supply  the  pulpit  in  Harvard  for  a  few 
Sundays,  —  not,  however,  as  a  candidate :  but,  having 


292  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

given  great  satisfaction,  he  accepted  a  unanimous 
invitation  from  the  society  to  be  their  minister ;  and 
the  first  day  of  January,  1823,  was  fixed  for  the 
ordination. 

The  day  was  cold  and  dismal ;  and,  before  the 
services  were  over,  a  severe  north-east  snow-storm 
set  in,  which  before  night  made  travelling  difficult. 
But,  notwithstanding  the  storm  and  the  cold,  the  old 
church  was  filled ;  and  the  sermon  by  President  Kirk- 
land,  and  the  other  services,  were  listened  to  with 
much  interest  and  satisfaction. 

With  the  exception  of  the  writer,  all  the  clerical 
members  of  the  ordaining  council  have  long  since 
ceased  from  their  mortal  labors;  and  "nearly  all  the 
friends,"  writes  Mrs.  Blanchard,  "  assembled  at  my 
father's  house  on  that  day  have  passed  to  their  home 
above.  I  venture,"  she  adds,  "to  extract  a  few  lines, 
expressive  of  his  feelings  in  view  of  the  transaction. 

" '  A  day  ever  to  be  remembered  as  one  of  the 
most  interesting  of  my  life  for  the  influence  it  may 
have  upon  my  future  condition  and  happiness,  for 
the  deeply  affecting  and  impressive  services  by  which 
it-  has  been  signalized,  and  as  commencing  a  period 
in  which  the  solemn  and  weighty  responsibilities  of 
the  ministerial  office  are  devolved  upon  me.  May 
God  strengthen  me  for  the  work  to  which  I  am 
called,  give  me  heavenly  wisdom  for  my  guide,  in- 
spire me  with  a  spirit  of  diligence  and  fidelity,  assist 
me  in  the  discharge  of  all  my  private  and  public 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  £93 

duties,  render  successful  my  endeavors  to  build 
up  the  Society  with  which  I  am  connected  in  the 
order  and  faith  of  the  gospel,  and  make  me  the 
happy  instrument  of  converting  many  to  righteous- 
ness ! ' " 

Such  aspirations  are  naturally  enough  awakened 
in  the  bosom  of  an  ingenuous  young  man  on  enter- 
ing on  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry  ;  but,  alas  ! 
they  sometimes  pass  away  as  the  morning  cloud  and 
as  the  early  dew.  Judging  from  his  life,  it  was  not 
so  with  our  friend  and  brother.  His  ministry,  though 
brief,  was  active  and  useful.  He  took  a  deep  inter- 
est in  all  measures  designed  and  suited  to  advance 
the  welfare  of  the  church  and  of  the  community  with 
which  he  was  connected.  He  instituted  a  Sunday 
school,  formed  a  parish  and  a  Sunday-school  library, 
gave  much  time  to  the  selection  and  care  of  the 
books,  and  was  gratified  by  witnessing  the  results  of 
his  labors. 

It  may  be  proper  to  mention,  in  this  connection, 
what  is  more  fully  stated  in  the  preceding  history, 
the  fact  that  the  plan  of  a  library  for  the  use  of  the 
AVorcester  Association  originated  in  Mr.  Blanchard, 
and  owed  its  success  very  much  to  his  exertions. 

But  his  labors  were  often  interrupted  by  sickness 
and  debility.  Frequently,  we  are  told,  after  preach- 
ing in  his  peculiarly  animated  and  impressive  manner, 
he  was  too  much  exhausted  to  take  requisite  nourish- 
ment of  food  or  sleep  ;  though  he  never  intermitted 


294  WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

public  or  private  claims,  when  not  disabled  by  some 
violent  malady  which  confined  him  to  his  bed. 

At  length,  in  the  midst  of  his  eminently  useful 
ministry,  he  was  compelled,  by  alarming  illness,  to 
relinquish  all  his  hopes  and  plans  and  labors  in  his 
chosen  field,  and  to  seek  the  benefits  of  a  milder 
climate. 

In  November,  1828,  he  sailed  for  Augusta,  Ga., 
where  he  remained  through  the  winter ;  preaching, 
as  his  strength  would  admit,  to  the  small  Unitarian 
society  in  that  city. 

His  health  for  a  time  seemed  much  improved ;  and 
he  was  encouraged  to  hope  that  he  should  be  able  to 
return,  and  resume  the  care  of  his  beloved  flock,  early 
in  the  spring.  But  his  hopes  proved  fallacious.  In 
April,  1829,  he  was  suddenly  prostrated  by  a  most 
painful  disease,  that  baffled  the  skill  of  the  most 
eminent  physicians,  the  effects  of  which  lasted  through 
four  years  of  suffering  and  helplessness. 

Believing  that  there  was  no  longer  any  reason- 
able prospect  of  recovery,  he  wished  to  resign  his 
place,  the  duties  of  which  he  was  unable  to  dis- 
charge :  but  so  strong  was  the  attachment  of  his 
people  to  their  minister,  that  they  refused  to  accept 
his  resignation ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  spring  of 
1831  that  his  connection  with  the  parish  was  dis- 
solved. At  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Washington  Gil- 
bert as  his  successor,  in  1831,  the  following  vote  was 
passed  by  the  ordaining  council :  — 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  295 

"  Voted,  That  the  council  do  sincerely  sympathize 
with  Rev.  I.  H.  T.  Blanchard,  under  the  afflicting 
visitation  of  Heaven.  We  bear  our  unqualified  tes- 
timony to  his  fidelity  as  a  Christian  minister.  We 
cordially  recommend  him  as  one  who,  if  his  health 
shall  be  restored,  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  sacred 
office.  We  pray  that  the  religion  he  has  preached 
may  be  to  him  a  continual  source  of  consolation,  and 
that  he  may  be  finally  received  to  its  highest  re- 
wards. 

"  NATHANIEL  THAYER,  Moderator" 

From  1833  to  1835,  a  gradual  improvement  was 
evident,  and  he  ventured  to  enter  the  pulpit ;  de- 
clining, however,  all  invitations  to  settle  as  a  parish 
minister,  till  he  received  a  call  from  a  small  society 
in  South  Natick,  over  which  he  was  installed  in 
April,  1835,  and  where  he  remained  about  five  years. 

In  1840,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  he  resigned 
his  office,  and  removed  to  Weymouth,  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  his  days  with  his  widowed  mother,  to 
whom  he  was  devotedly  attached.  From  this  time, 
his  health  gradually  declined,  though  he  was  still 
able  to  preach  occasionally ;  and  he  supplied  the 
pulpit  in  East  Bridge  water  for  several  months,  where 
he  was  invited  to  settle  as  the  stated  minister.  But, 
in  his  view,  filial  duty  was  paramount ;  and  no  per- 
sonal sacrifice  was  too  great  that  might  contribute  to 
the  happiness  of  a  beloved  mother. 


296  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

After  his  removal  to  Weymouth,  he  lingered 
through  five  years  of  weakness,  weariness,  and  suf- 
fering, till  at  length  the  powers  of  nature  gave  way, 
and,  April  9,  1845,  his  emancipated  spirit  was  re- 
leased from  the  burden  of  mortality,  and  death  was 
swallowed  up  in  life. 

The  account  given  of  his  last  days,  by  one  whose 
privilege  it  was  to  minister  to  his  wants  to  the  latest 
hour,  is  so  just  a  tribute  to  his  memory,  and  presents 
so  beautiful  a  picture  of  Christian  faith  triumphing 
over  pain  and  death,  that  I  shall  give  it  in  her  own 
words.  Speaking  of  the  last  few  months  preceding 
his  death,  she  writes,  — 

"  His  patience  under  every  privation,  and  in  all 
the  various  sufferings  incident  to  such  a  daily  decay 
of  body,  was  perfect.  Not  an  instance  can  be  re- 
called betraying  the  slightest  irritation  or  fretful 
uneasiness:  but,  on  the  contrary,  a  most  grateful, 
placid,  calm,  resigned  frame  was  manifested  through- 
out his  long  and  trying  sickness ;  while  he  dwelt 
with  devout  gratitude  on  the  distinguished  blessings 
and  mercies  with  which  he  was  encompassed.  It 
seems  impossible  for  any  words  to  express  his  views 
and  feelings  when  attempting  to  speak  of  the  good- 
ness of  God  to  him,  and  his  astonishing  compassion 
in  providing  a  Saviour  for  mankind,  and  the  mani- 
festation of  the  love  of  Christ  which  pervaded  his 
own  soul.  '  My  mind,'  he  said, '  is  filled  with  peace, 
—  such  peace  as  no  language  can  convey.'  Every  at- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  297 

tempt  of  the  doctor  or  others  to  alleviate  his  agonizing 
distress  drew  forth  expressions  of  gratitude.  From 
the  irritation  on  the  lungs,  it  was  very  difficult  and 
painful  to  talk ;  which  prevented  his  seeing  friends 
with  whom  he  would  have  delighted  to  converse. 
It  was  only  at  intervals,  in  the  day  or  night,  that  he 
could  impart,  from  the  fulness  of  his  heart,  something 
of  the  comfort  enjoyed  in  sweet  communion  with  his 
God  and  Saviour,  though  scarcely  breathed  aloud 
from  the  fear  of  expressing  too  much.  He  had  a 
great  detestation  of  any  thing  like  display  and  boast- 
ing in  religious  experience,  which  led  him  to  avoid 
speaking  of  himself,  and  rather  to  understate  his 
own  feelings :  he  would  say,  '  I  have  said  thus  and 
thus  for  your  comfort,  and  it  might  seem  like  boast- 
ing, which  is  ill-becoming.  I  have  no  claim  to 
assurance  and  triumph  :  all  I  desire  is  perfect  sub- 
mission to  the  will  of  God ;  this  continued  peace 
and  trust,  and  a  humble  hope  through  my  blessed 
Saviour.  I  wish  you  to  pray,'  he  added,  '  that  I  may 
have  my  reason  to  the  last,  and  an  easy  death,  if  it 
be  the  will  of  God.' 

"  These  remarks  were  made  three  weeks  before 
his  departure,  in  the  wakeful  hours  of  night,  which 
seemed  his  most  favored  season.  There  was  no  rap- 
turous excitement :  all  was  calm  and  self-possessed  ; 
and,  with  his  habitual  thoughtfulness  for  others,  many 
directions  were  given  and  wishes  expressed  in  re- 
gard to  certain  persons  and  transactions,  which  might 


298  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

afford  them  comfort,  and  relieve  me  of  care.  Mem- 
ory was  not  impaired,  so  that  minute  circumstances 
were  recalled  with  exactness. 

"  A  few  nights  before  the  last,  after  intense  suf- 
fering for  breath,  towards  morning  he  fell  asleep, 
and,  awaking  just  at  the  dawn,  desired  me  to  open 
the  shutter,  that  he  might  behold  the  blessed  light, 
emblem  of  the  glorious  light  of  God,  who  had  gra- 
ciously spread  abroad  over  all  his  works  this  beautiful 
type  of  himself.  He  then  "  expressed  devout  grati- 
tude, that  the  eye  was  so  constructed  as  to  receive 
pleasure  from  such  wonderful  displays  of  goodness  ; 
saying  that  he  hoped  soon  to  be  in  the  more  imme- 
diate presence  of  that  Being  who  is  light,  in  whom 
is  no  darkness  at  all. 

"But  it  is  not  possible  to  recollect  many  expres- 
sions with  exactness.  Once  he  said,  with  great 
earnestness,  '  Oh,  I  long  to  be  where  I  shall  com- 
prehend more  of  the  glorious  character  of  God,  and 
understand  more  of  the  wonderful  plan  of  redemption 
by  Jesus  Christ !  '  During  an  interval  of  quiet, 
after  hours  of  agony,  on  the  day  he  left  us,  he  asked 
me  how  his  pulse  was.  To  my  reply,  that  it  was 
very  weak  and  intermitting,  he  said,  *  I  am  very 
weak ;  but,  as  the  body  fails,  my  faith  and  hope  are 
strengthened  :  the  same  peace  prevails.  Have  no 
fears  for  me ;  my  trust  is  firm.  I  wish  I  could  say 
more,  but  am  too  weak  to  talk  now.' 

"  Soon  another  violent   paroxysm  came   on,  —  it 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  299 

was  the  last  terrible  conflict  with  this  '  body  of  death,' 
—  which  continued  for  two  hours ;  and  he  lay  faint 
and  exhausted,  almost  lifeless,  till  half-past  six,  when 
he  was  raised  up  to  relieve  his  cough.  With  clear- 
ness of  thought  and  expression,  and  with  earnestness, 
he  commenced  praying  in  an  audible  voice,  with 
perfect  distinctness,  to  the  amazement  of  all  present, 
as,  from  extreme  weakness,  he  had  for  several  days 
previous  only  spoken  in  faint  whispers.  Soon  after- 
wards, he  raised  his  hands  and  eyes,  saying,  with 
strong  emphasis,  *  Oh,  the  anchor  of  the  soul  is  sure 
and  steadfast !  The  anchor  is  sure ! '  and  then  he 
commenced  speaking  to  those  about  him  with  great 
appropriateness  on  the  duty  of  each  to  prepare  for 
his  own  departure.  '  Remember,'  he  said,  with  pe- 
culiar earnestness,  '  that  the  spirit  of  Christ  —  the 
spirit  of  Christ  —  that  is  every  thing  —  that  is  all. 
If  any  man  have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none 
of  his.' 

"  His  address  to  his  aged  mother  was  most  touch- 
ing, full  of  respectful  affection  and  anxious  solicitude, 
that  she  might  so  trust  in  God,  the  only  unfailing 
support,  as  to  be  comforted  and  sustained  through 
her  solitary  pilgrimage.  At  the  close  of  this  affect- 
ing expression  of  his  tender  sympathy,  he  raised  his 
feeble  hands,  and,  with  a  clearness  of  voice  and 
utterance  never  exceeded  in  days  of  health,  began, 
1  Father  of  mercies  and  God  of  all  consolation,'  pro- 
ceeding with  entire  pertinence  to  implore  blessings 


300  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

on  each,  that  all  might  enjoy  the  favor  of  God,  the 
blessedness  of  religion,  be  sustained  by  a  hope  of 
immortality,  and  received  at  last,  through  the  mercy 
of  God  in  Christ,  into  the  heavenly  kingdom ;  espe- 
cially commending  his  afflicted  mother  to  the  widow's 
God. 

"  It  was  a  long,  fervent,  humble,  confiding,  devout 
outpouring  of  the  soul  to  his  Father  in  heaven,  full  of 
childlike  trust,  submission,  and  hope.  The  doctor 
was  near ;  and  he  inquired,  '  How  long  do  you  think 
I  shall  live  ? '  He  replied,  '  The  pulse  is  very  feeble; 
but  I  do  not  think  you  are  dying,  though  you  seem 
to  be  sinking  very  fast.'  — '  The  will  of  God  be  done  : 
I  am  willing  to  go ;  to  resign  all ;  to  leave  all.' 
Afterwards  he  said  much  to  me,  and  referred  to  the 
consoling  belief  in  a  re-union,  &c.,  and  evinced  his 
tender  concern,  not  only  for  the  spiritual,  but  the 
temporal  welfare  of  friends,  whom  he  was  soon  to 
leave.  The  last  words  he  uttered  were,  '  I  know  in 
whom  I  have  believed.  The  mercy  of  God  through 
Jesus  Christ  is  my  only  hope,  —  my  only  hope  ;  '  and, 
in  a  few  moments,  he  fell  asleep,  without  a  struggle 
or  a  sigh.  His  death  took  place  April  9,  1845. 

"  Of  his  general  character,"  the  Avriter  modestly 
suggests,  "  I  presume  you  may  be  far  better  qualified 
to  judge  than  myself.  But  it  may  not  be  impertinent 
to  state,  that,  from  a  child,  his  veracity  was  never 
impeached.  Sincerity  was  a  leading  feature  through 
life,  with  a  great  abhorrence  of  hypocrisy  and  osten- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  301 

tation.  His  reverence  for  the  Scriptures  was  very 
great.  His  manner  of  reading  was  emphatic,  show- 
ing a  quick  comprehension  of  the  sense,  and  a  deep 
feeling  of  the  sentiment,  which  rendered  him  an 
interesting  preacher,  with  no  pretensions,  however, 
to  eloquence  or  rhetorical  flourishes.  Consistent 
propriety  marked  his  public  and  private  actions.  He 
was  serious,  simple,  and  devout  in  his  services,  deliv- 
ering his  sermons  with  that  impressive  earnestness 
which  secured  the  attention  of  his  hearers.  His 
natural  refinement  and  delicacy  of  taste  never  for- 
sook him  amidst  all  his  sickness,  nor  his  love  of 
flowers,  which  were  constantly  in  his  room,  and 
afforded  him  much  pleasure,  viewed  as  tokens  of 
God's  love." 

I  do  not  feel  disposed,  nor  is  there  occasion,  to 
add  a  word  to  the  foregoing  deeply  interesting  ac- 
count of  the  last  days  of  our  dear  brother  Blanchard. 
May  his  example  of  fidelity  in  duty,  patience  in 
suffering,  and  strong  religious  trust  in  the  darkest 
hours,  stir  up  our  minds,  and  warm  our  hearts,  and 
lead  us  to  press  on  with  renewed  vigor  in  the  race 
set  before  us  ! 

Mr.  Blanchard  was  married,  May  30,  1825,  to 
Margaret  B.,  daughter  of  Eliphalet  Pearson,  LL.D. 
(H.C.  1773),  formerly  Professor  of  the  Oriental 
Languages  and  of  Elocution  in  Harvard  College, 
and  of  Sarah,  daughter  of  Henry  Bromfield,  Esq., 
formerly  of  Boston,  subsequently  of  Harvard,  where 


302  WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  occupying  the 
venerable  old  mansion  built  in  1732  by  Rev.  John 
Seccomb,  the  first  minister  of  that  town.  The  house 
and  farm  came  into  the  possession  of  Dr.  Pearson, 
and  afterwards  of  his  youngest  son,  Henry  B.  Pear- 
son, Esq.  The  spacious  mansion,  embosomed  in  a 
forest  of  noble  elms,  was  an  imposing  object ;  and 
its  destruction  by  fire,  Aug.  3,  1855,  was  a  public 
loss,  as  well  as  a  private  calamity. 

Mrs.  Blanchard  still  has  her  residence  in  Harvard, 
blessed  with  a  competency,  and  doing  good  as  she 
has  opportunity. 

REV.    SETH   ALDEN,    MARLBOROUGH. 

Among  the  departed  members  of  the  Association, 
who  have  labored  with  us  in  the  work  of  the  minis- 
try, and  with  whom  we  have  interchanged  the  offices 
of  Christian  sympathy  and  friendship,  we  recall  with 
sentiments  of  affectionate  respect  the  memory  of  our 
brother  Alden,  for  nearly  fifteen  years  the  worthy 
minister  of  the  West  Parish  in  Marlborough. 

Mr.  Alden  joined  the  Association  on  the  very  day 
of  its  re-organization,  —  May  18,  1820;  and  he  con- 
tinued an  active  and  valued  member  till  his  connec- 
tion with  the  society  in  Marlborough  was  dissolved, 
April,  1835. 

Seth  Alden  was  born  in  Bridgewater,  May  21, 
1793,  and  was  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Bethiah 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  303 

(Carver)  Alden.  He  had  four  brothers,  all  older 
than  himself,  all  of  whom,  himself  included,  died 
•within  the  brief  period  of  five  years ;  viz.,  between 
the  years  1850  and  1855. 

Mr.  Alden  was  a  descendant  of  the  fifth  gene- 
ration, in  a  direct  line,  of  John  Alden,  one  of  the 
little  band  of  Pilgrims  who  came  over  in  the  "  May- 
flower "  in  1620.  His  father,  Captain  Joseph  Alden, 
was  a  son  of  Captain  Seth  Alden,  whose  father, 
Deacon  Joseph  Alden,  jun.,  was  a  grandson  of  the 
Hon.  John  Alden,  of  the  "  Mayflower."  On  his 
mother's  side  also,  he  was  a  descendant  of  Governor 
Carver,  of  the  same  Pilgrim  band. 

Mr.  Alden  entered  Brown  University  in  Provi- 
dence, R.I.,  in  1810,  and  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1814.  The  year  following  his  graduation, 
he  was  principal  of  the  academy  in  Wakefield, 
N.H. :  and  in  1816  he  entered  on  a  course  of  theo- 
logical studies  in  the  Divinity  School,  Cambridge  ; 
after  completing  which,  in  1819,  he  received  a  call 
to  settle  as  minister  of  the  Second  Congregational 
Church  and  Parish  in  Marlborough,  where  he  was 
ordained,  Nov.  3  of  the  same  year,  as  the  successor 
of  Rev.  Asa  Packard,  the  first  minister  of  that  parish. 
Here  he  led  a  quiet,  peaceful,  useful  life  for  fifteen 
years  ;  faithfully  discharging  the  duties  of  a  Christian 
pastor,  and  sustaining  a  character  without  reproach. 
Being  settled  for  life,  as  was  then  the  custom,  and 
feeling  that  he  had  now  a  home  and  the  means  of 


304  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

supporting  a  family,  he  built  him  a  house,  a  neat  and 
commodious  dwelling,  planted  about  it  trees  for  orna- 
ment and  use,  and  made  it  attractive,  not  only  to  the 
indweller,  but  to  the  passer-by.*  He  soon  found  in 
the  daughter  of  a  neighboring  minister,  Rev.  Mr. 
Miles,  of  Grafton,  a  companion  and  helpmeet,  with 
whom  he  enjoyed  a  large  share  of  domestic  felicity 
during  the  brief  period  that  the  union  lasted,  and  by 
whom  he  had  one  son,  John  Carver  Alden,  who  is  still 
living,  and  a  daughter,  who  died  in  infancy.  The 
marriage  of  Mr.  Alden  with  Mary  Denny  Miles  took 
place  June  4, 1822;  and  she  died,  after  a  long  period 
of  weakness  and  suffering,  July  31,  1825.  Her  early 
death  was  a  sore  disappointment  to  her  husband,  who 
cherished  her  memory  with  fond  regard,  and  who  felt 
that  he  had  sustained  an  irreparable  loss.  I  do  not 
think  that  he  ever  fully  recovered  from  the  blow,  or 
that,  in  the  midst  of  the  happy  domestic  circle  by 
which  he  was  surrounded  in  after-years,  he  ever 
forgot  his  first  love,  the  beautiful  and  accomplished 
wife  of  his  youth.  At  the  house  of  a  brother  minister, 
Rev.  Isaac  Allen,  of  Bolton,  there  hung,  on  the  walls 
of  the  parlor,  the  picture  of  a  lovely  female,  one  of 
the  Catholic  saints,  Santa  Rosalie ;  a  painting  of  very 
great  merit,  —  by  one  of  the  old  masters,  as  is  sup- 
posed, —  which  bore  a  striking  resemblance,  as  he 
thought,  to  the  features  of  his  departed  wife.  It 

*  The  house  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Deacon  Phelps. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  305 

was  his  practice,  whenever  he  called  at  the  house,  to 
repair  at  once  to  the  parlor  to  gaze  on  this  picture, 
from  which  he  seemed  reluctant  to  part.  He  had 
often  expressed  a  wish  to  become  its  possessor ;  and 
at  length,  through  the  generosity  of  his  friend,  he 
had  the  satisfaction  of  removing  it  to  his  own  home, 
where  it  was  reckoned  among  his  choice  treasures. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  having  disposed  of 
his  house,  he  boarded  with  a  member  of  his  parish, 
till  his  second  marriage,  which  took  place  March  8, 
1831.  He  married  Persis,  a  daughter  of  the  parish- 
ioner with  whom  he  boarded,  Deacon  Benjamin  Rice, 
a  graduate  of  Harvard  College  of  the  class  of  1790, 
who  had  been  engaged  in  mercantile  life,  but  had 
retired  to  his  native  place,  and  become  a  respectable 
farmer  and  citizen  of  Marlborough. 

Mr.  Alden  now  resumed  the  duties  and  responsi- 
bilities of  the  head  of  a  family,  and  became  the 
father  of  a  large  household.  By  his  second  wife,  he 
had  seven  children,  two  of  whom,  who  bore  the 
honored  name  of  William  Bradford,  died  in  infancy: 
the  other  five,  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  still 
survive.  Their  names  are  Mary  Denny,  Benjamin 
F.  Rice,  Edward  Winslow,  Adaline  Augusta,  and 
Susan  Eli/abeth. 

After  a  peaceful  ministry  of  fifteen  years,  with 
only  such  vicissitudes  and  trials  as  arc  common 
among  men,  his  connection  with  the  parish  was  by 
mutual  consent  dissolved  ;  and  he  left  the  place,  car- 

20 


306  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

rying  with  him  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  and  of  the  people  generally 
by  whom  he  was  best  known.  The  separation  took 
place  in  April,  1834. 

In  May,  1835,  he  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
First  Congregational  Church  and  Society  in  Brook- 
field,  as  successor  of  Rev.  George  E-.  Noyes,  D.D., 
the  learned  Professor  of  Hebrew,  and  other  Oriental 
Languages  at  Cambridge,  where  he  lived  in  his  own 
house,  and  discharged  faithfully  and  acceptably  the 
offices  of  a  Christian  pastor  for  another  term  of  ten 
years ;  his  labors  being  occasionally  interrupted,  as 
they  had  been  during  his  ministry  at  Marlborough, 
by  ill  health.  In  May,  1845,  he  resigned  the  pas- 
toral care  of  the  church  in  Brookfield,  leaving 
behind  him  many  friends,  and  a  name  without  re- 
proach. 

The  two  following  years,  he  remained  without  a  set- 
tlement, supplying  vacant  pulpits  as  he  was  able,  and 
had  opportunity  ;  and  in  May,  1847,  he  took  charge, 
without  the  formality  of  a  public  installation,  of  a 
weak  and  declining  society  in  Southborough,  which 
he  labored,  with  no  very  encouraging  success,  to  re- 
vive. His  connection  with  this  society  lasted  two 
years  and  six  months,  till  October,  1849;  and,  had 
he  met  with  the  encouragement  which  we  had  a  right 
to  expect  from  a  society  which  at  that  time  numbered 
among  its  members  many  families  of  wealth  and  in- 
fluence, instead  of  its  declension  and  ultimate  extinc- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  307 

tion  as  a  religious  society,  we  might  have  witnessed 
its  revival,  and  gradual  growth ;  and  it  might  have 
been  at  this  time  one  of  the  living  and  prosperous 
churches  of  our  denomination. 

From  November,  1849,  until  his  decease,  he  minis- 
tered to  the  Second  Congregational  Society  in  Lin- 
coln, where  he  passed  four  quiet,  happy,  and  it  is 
believed  useful  years,  as  the  successor  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Ripley,  formerly  the  respected  and  beloved  minister 
of  Waltham,  whose  sudden  death  two  years  before, 
1847,  while  on  his  way  to  his  father's  house  in  Con- 
cord to  pass  Thanksgiving  Day,  was  the  occasion  of 
deep  grief  to  his  family  and  friends. 

Of  the  beautiful  close  of  Mr.  Alden's  ministry 
and  life,  we  give  an  account  in  the  words  of  his  sur- 
viving companion  :  — 

"  On  Saturday,  Nov.  12,  1853,  Mr.  Alden  rode  to 
Southborough,  called  on  some  of  his  acquaintances, 
and  passed  the  night  at  the  house  of  one  of  his  for- 
mer parishioners  and  friends.  On  Sunday  morning, 
Nov.  13,  he  rode  to  Westborough,  to  fulfil  an  engage- 
ment with  Rev.  Mr.  Gage  for  an  exchange  on  that 
day.  He  appeared  quite  well  after  the  morning 
services,  and  during  the  intermission.  While  road- 
ing  the  hymn  at  the  commencement  of  the  after- 
noon services,  he  expired.  It  was  that  beautiful 
hymn  (150th  of  the  "Cheshire  Collection")  begin- 
ning, — 

'  Father  of  spirits  !  Nature's  God  ! '  — 


308  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

and  concluded  it  with  the  exception  of  the  last  line 
of  the  last  stanza,  with  an  unfaltering  voice.     '  Joy ' 
was  the  word  uttered  with  his  last  breath." 
The  last  two  lines  of  the  hymn  are,  — 

"And  fit  us  for  those  realms  of  joy, 
Where  nought  impure  shall  enter  in." 

His  death  was  instantaneous,  as  he  had  ceased  to 
breathe  when  some  of  his  hearers  rushed  to  the  pul- 
pit, the  moment  that  he  was  seen  to  fall. 

From  an  obituary  notice  in  the  "  Christian  Ex- 
aminer "  for  March,  1854,  written  by  one  of  his 
clerical  friends  and  neighbors,  to  the  justice  of  which, 
from  a  long  and  intimate  acquaintance,  we  bear  our 
willing  testimony,  we  make  the  following  extract :  — 

"  The  prominent  feature  of  his  character  was 
fidelity.  No  duty  ever  came  in  his  way,  which  was 
not  conscientiously,  punctually,  cheerfully  performed ; 
no  occasion  ever  waited  for  him,  or  found  his  talent 
"laid  away  in  a  napkin."  In  his  family,  he  was 
gentle,  yet  firm,  not  more  affectionate  than  wise.  In 
his  parish,  he  was  distinguished  by  soundness  of 
judgment,  integrity  of  purpose,  excellent  common 
sense,  and  unhesitating  fidelity.  Laboring  with  his 
own  hands,  like  St.  Paul,  that  he  might  not  burden 
a  feeble  society,  he  honored  toil  by  his  sunny  spirit. 
Notwithstanding  his  frequent  suffering  by  disease  of 
the  heart,  he  was  uniformly  cheerful ;  the  regard  of 
his  friends,  the  love  of  his  family,  the  reverence 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  309 

of  his  villagers,  crowning  his  exemplary  life  with 
peace.  Not  only  was  he  looked  up  to  by  his  neigh- 
bors as  a  sincere  Christian,  but  he  was  justly  a  favor- 
ite with  the  rural  congregations ;  his  manly  figure, 
his  dignified  address,  his  sound  common  sense,  his 
clear  conscience,  his  thorough  honesty,  making  his 
modest  presence  acceptable.  His  preaching  was 
thoroughly  liberal,  yet  with  a  Puritan  solemnity, 
appealing  to  conscience  rather  than  to  feeling,  to 
judgment  more  than  imagination. 

His  funeral  was  attended,  date  not  known,  at  the 
village  church  in  Lincoln,  where  were  gathered  a  large 
congregation  of  sympathizing  friends,  who  thus  tes- 
tified their  respect  for  the  memory  of  a  good  man 
and  a  faithful  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  An  appro- 
priate discourse  was  preached  on  the  occasion  by  his 
friend  and  neighbor,  since  deceased,  —  Rev.  Barzillai 
Frost,  of  Concord ;  from  which  we  take  the  follow- 
ing extracts  :  — 

"  He  was  eminently  simple,  plain,  and  open.  Like 
limpid  waters,  though  deep,  you  could  see  to  the 
bottom  at  a  glance.  He  was  of  Puritan  stock,  being 
a  direct  descendant  of  John  Alden  who  came  over 
in  the  '  Mayflower.'  And  the  sober  correctness,  the 
honest  sincerity,  the  stern  integrity,  and  unfeigned 
faith  of  his  ancestors  coursed  through  the  currents  of 
his  moral  being,  as  their  blood  did  in  his  veins.  ...  A 
parishioner  of  his  told  me  yesterday,  that,  whilst 
there  was  something  in  the  language  and  tone  of  his 


310  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

preaching  that  reminded  you  of  Orthodoxy,  yet  no 
one  was  more  thoroughly  liberal  in  his  views.  I 
interpret  this  to  mean,  that,  while  the  light  of  the 
nineteenth  century  had  shined  full  into  his  under- 
standing, the  faith  and  piety  of  the  Puritan  warmed 
his  heart  with  their  original  strength.  This  led  him 
to  choose  the  ministry,  and  devote  himself  to  it 
between  thirty  and  forty  years  with  constancy  and 
fidelity.  While  the  community  were  changing  around 
him,  his  interest  in  his  profession  knew  no  change ; 
and,  as  he  went  from  one  parish  to  another,  he  car- 
ried the  interest  and  fidelity  of  a  first  love.  ...  In  the 
structure  of  his  mind,  the  solid  and  useful  predomi- 
nated, rather  than  the  striking  and  showy.  Judg- 
ment predominated  over  imagination;  conscience, 
over  sentimentalism ;  the  practical,  over  the  specu- 
lative ;  an  humble  filial  trust  and  obedience,  over 
religious  fervors.  .  .  .  His  preaching  was  reverent, 
rational,  practical,  and  direct.  He  spent  but  little 
time  on  theories  or  dogmas,  ancient  or  modern, 
either  to  overthrow  or  defend  them.  He  had  God's 
truth  to  explain  and  recommend,  and  he  '  must 
needs  be  about  his  Father's  business.' .  .  .  He  was 
not  so  absorbed  in  the  world  as  to  forget  his  profes- 
sion ;  nor  was  he  so  engaged  in  study  and  religious 
exercises  as  to  forget  the  great  practical  duties  of 
life." 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  311 


REV.   HIRAM   WITHINGTON,   LEOMIXSTER. 

A  Memoir  of  Mr.  Withington,  prepared,  at  the 
request  of  the  Worcester  Association,  by  his  intimate 
friend  and  fellow-student,  Rev.  J.  H.  Allen,  then 
minister  of  the  Unitarian  Society  in  Washington, 
D.C.,  was  published  in  1849,  the  year  after  his 
death.  From  that  Memoir,  and  our  own  recollec- 
tions, the  following  sketch  is  compiled. 

Hiram  Withington  was  born  in  Dorchester,  July 
29,  1818. 

In  the  district  school,  he  gained  the  reputation  of 
being  a  good  scholar,  and  exhibited  many  of  those 
estimable  traits  of  character  for  which  he  was  dis- 
tinguished in  his  subsequent  life.  He  was  grave, 
thoughtful,  and  gentle  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  when 
among  his  friends,  overflowing  with  good-humor  and 
mirthfulness.  He  was  very  fond  of  reading,  and  he 
delighted  in  telling  humorous  stories  and  ludicrous 
incidents,  and  in  repeating  poetry,  of  which  he  was 
very  fond.  He  loved  solitary  walks,  and  enjoyed 
with  a  keen  relish  the  beauties  of  nature.  As  a  boy, 
he  was  very  little  understood,  and  found  almost  no 
sympathy  among  his  schoolmates. 

The  remarkable  cheerfulness  by  which  he  was 
distinguished  at  a  later  period,  was  almost  wholly 
acquired.  When  a  boy,  and  even  when  approaching 
manhood,  he  had  a  tendency  to  sadness,  which  was 


312  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

only  overcome  by  hard  struggling.  It  was  never, 
indeed,  wholly  eradicated ;  for,  while  he  was  habitu- 
ally cheerful,  there  were  times  when  he  gave  way  to 
feelings  of  despondency. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  left  the  common  school, 
and  entered  an  academy,  where  he  remained  for  two 
years.  At  the  early  age  of  sixteen,  he  began  to  teach. ; 
first  in  Hanson,  and  the  following  year  in  one  of  the 
grammar  schools  of  his  native  town.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen,  his  religious  nature  seems  to  have  been 
moi'e  fully  developed.  It  was  his  good  fortune,  at 
this  time,  to  enjoy  the  friendship,  and  to  experience 
the  kind  offices,  of  his  minister,  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall, 
to  whom  he  ever  felt  under  great  obligation. 

He  now  took  a  warm  interest  in  the  Sunday  school 
and  in  teachers'  meetings ;  "  and  when,  in  his  turn, 
he  came  to  give  the  general  lesson  to  the  children  of 
the  Sunday  school,  so  attractive,"  we  are  told,  "  was 
his  little  sermon,  so  simple  and  beautiful,  delivered 
in  a  tone  so  impressive  and  sweet,  that  they  would 
cluster  around  him,  and  hang  upon  his  words,  enjoy- 
ing at  once  the  charm  of  his  stories  and  the  music 
of  his  voice." 

In  the  spring  of  1839,  he  became  an  assistant  and 
pupil  of  the  writer,  and  an  inmate  in  his  family ;  in 
which  situation  he  continued  somewhat  more  than 
two  years,  pursuing  the  study  of  Latin  and  Greek, 
preparatory  to  his  entering  the  Divinity  School,  Cam- 
bridge. While  here,  his  time  was  divided  between 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  313 

teaching  and  study ;  the  mornings  and  evenings  being 
wholly  at  his  own  disposal.  He  was  now  of  manly 
age  ;  his  mind  was  mature,  his  tastes  formed,  his  pro- 
fession chosen.  He  was  looking  forward  to  the  min- 
istry ;  and  his  leading  object  was  to  qualify  himself 
for  the  office  of  a  Christian  teacher  and  pastor.  He 
had  no  special  fondness  for  classical  studies,  and  was 
never  what  would  be  called  a  hard  student.  But  he 
had  an  active  and  thoughtful  mind,  was  much  given 
to  speculation  ;  and  he  pursued  his  investigations  after 
truth  with  great  freedom  and  boldness,  and  in  the 
absence  of  that  "  fear  of  man  which  bringeth  a 
snare."  He  had  a  brilliant  and  poetic  imagination, 
which  he  sometimes  indulged  in  writing  verses, 
humorous  or  serious,  as  the  occasion  demanded.  He 
was  fond  of  writing ;  and  his  correspondence  with  his 
friends  was  conducted  on  so  large  a  scale,  that  I 
sometimes  feared  that  it  would  seriously  interfere 
with  his  studies,  as  it  undoubtedly  did.  But  though 
I  sometimes  remonstrated  with  him  on  what  seemed 
to  me,  at  the  time,  a  misdirection  of  his  talents,  and 
what  might  prove  a  hindcrance  to  his  success,  I  am 
now  convinced  that  he  was  taking  the  most  effectual 
method  for  disciplining  his  mind,  and  laying  the 
foundation  of  that  ease  and  grace  in  composition  for 
which  he  was  distinguished,  and  which  made  him  so 
excellent  a  writer,  and  so  acceptable  a  preacher. 

On  leaving  Xorthborough,  he  entered  the  Divinity 
School  in  Cambridge  in  the  autumn  of  1841,  where 


314  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

he  remained  three  years,  graduating  with  the  class  of 
1844.  Not,"  we  are  told,  "without  a  most  serious 
sense  of  the  greatness  of  the  work  "  in  which  he  was 
to  engage,  yet  with  a  determination  "  to  be  more  of 
a  man  than  a  minister,"  and  never  to  suffer  books  to 
stand  between  him  and  the  living  heart  of  men,  he 
entered  upon  a  theological  course  in  the  Divinity 
School.  "  His  method  of  study  was  to  keep  the 
mind  active,  and  appropriate  the  food  within  reach ; 
to  search  for  the  materials  of  thinking  and  communi- 
cation with  other  minds,  yet  jealously  guarding  his 
own  intellectual  liberty  and  that  of  others ;  and, 
when  occasion  demanded,  to  gather  and  combine 
very  rapidly  what  he  required  for  the  work  in  hand." 
In  adopting  this  method,  he  consulted  his  tastes  and 
inclination  ;  and,  though  it  failed  to  make  him  a  pro- 
found scholar  and  theologian,  it  made  him  an  origi- 

O  7  O 

nal  thinker,  and  gave  a  peculiar  freshness  and 
attractiveness  to  his  writings.  With  his  active  and 
independent  mind,  he  could  not  follow  in  the  beaten 
track,  nor  adopt  opinions  and  views,  however  sanc- 
tioned by  age  or  general  consent,  which  did  not 
approve  themselves  to  his  individual  judgment.  He 
claimed  the  largest  liberty,  and  held  himself  in  readi- 
ness to  receive  whatever  new  truths  might  reveal 
themselves  to  his  mind,  from  whatever  source  they 
might  come.  "  Natural  good  sense,  and  simple, 
unaffected  piety,  were  quite  as  prominent  as  any 
traits  of  character  in  all  his  intercourse  with  the 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  315 

school ; "  and  it  was  these  that,  by  their  controlling 
influence,  preserved  him  from  all  hurtful  extremes, 
and  made  it  safe  for  him  to  speculate  with  the  utmost 
freedom. 

With  such  natural  gifts,  and  such  preparations  of 
mental  and  moral  culture,  it  was  easy  to  foresee  that 
he  would  not  remain  long  without  employment. 
The  dissertation  which  he  read  on  the  day  of  his 
graduation,  July,  1844,  and  which  was  inserted  in 
the  "  Christian  Examiner "  for  November  of  that 
year,  was  regarded  as  an  indication  of  his  ability  as 
a  writer,  and  a  pledge  of  his  success.  "  As  a 
preacher,  he  seems  to  have  become  at  once  popular  ; 
and  to  have  displayed  all  those  qualities  of  fancy, 
tenderness,  devotion,  and  gentle  earnestness,  which 
always  characterized  his  public  ministrations." 

He  did  not  wait  long  for  a  settlement.  In  the 
autumn  of  the  same  year,  after  a  probation  of  a  few 
weeks,  he  was  invited  to  take  the  pastoral  charge  of 
the  First  Parish  in  Lcominster,  one  of  the  largest 
and  strongest  parishes  in  Worcester  County,  —  a 
place  made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Rev.  Rufus 
P.  Stebbins,  D.D.,  who  had  been  chosen  President 
of  Meadville  College,  Penn. 

His  ordination  took  place  on  Christmas  day,  1844  ; 
on  which  occasion  he  welcomed  to  his  new  home, 
and  introduced  to  his  newly  married  wife,*  his  breth- 

*  Mr.  Withingtnn  wns  mnrried,  19th  of  November,  1M4,  to  Miss 
Eliztibetli  Clapp,  of  Dorchester. 


316  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

ren  of  the  Association,  and  other  members  of  the 
ordaining  council.  Seldom  has  a  young  minister 
entered  on  his  work  with  brighter  prospects  of  use- 
fulness and  happiness.  About  two  weeks  after  his 
ordination,  he  thus  writes  to  a  friend  :  "  Every  thing, 
thus  far,  is  as  fair  as  possible.  Nobody  ever  be- 
gan under  fairer  auspices.  Everybody  is  friendly  ; 
everybody  is  pleased.  I  invited  people  to  come 
and  see  me  New  Year's  Eve.  About  two  hundred 
came,  from  far  and  near,  —  young  and  old.  .  .  . 
Just  so  at  the  ladies'  sewing  meeting  here  on 
Thursday.  There  were  sixty-eight  or  seventy  ladies 
present,  —  the  largest  meeting  ever  known.  Then, 
on  Sundays,  they  have  come  out  like  "  doves  to  their 
windows,"  and  filled  my  great  church  almost  as  full 
as  at  my  ordination.  Now,  don't  be  frightened,  good 
brother  mine,  at  all  this  chuckling.  I  know,  just  as 
well  as  you  do,  how  much  it  is  all  worth,  and  how 
little  to  be  depended  on.  ...  I  know  them  a  great 
deal  better  than  they  know  me.  I  cannot  rely  on 
present  popularity,  and  I  do  not.  It  is  a  fair  field 
of  labor,  and  a  wide,  —  hopeful  and  pressing.  For 
myself,  I  am  singularly  free  from  exciting  feelings, 
either  of  expectation  or  anxiety.  I  mean  to  work,  — 
I  trust,  to  work  successfully.  Beyond  this,  I  have 
hardly  any  feeling  about  it." 

He  soon  found  his  strength  inadequate  to  the 
demands  made  upon  him  by  his  preparations  for 
the  pulpit  and  the  care  of  the  parish.  "  I  have  too 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  317 

much  to  do,"  he  writes,  March  2,  1845,  "and  yet 
don't  do  half  as  much  as  I  might.  .  .  .  Don't  imagine 
I  am  slumping  yet.  I  wrote  two  sermons  yesterday, 
besides  making  five  calls,  some  two  miles  distant, 
and  have  got  some  stuff  left,  though  I  have  preached 
at  home  ever  since  my  settlement,  except  a  day  and 
a  half  of  love-labors.  But  I  know  that  my  sponta- 
neous thought  is  not  just  the  thing  for  my  people." 

We  introduce  another  extract  from  his  correspond- 
ence, of  the  date  of  March  31,  to  show  the  extent  of 
the  field,  and  the  amount  of  his  labors  :  "  I  have 
made  two  hundred  and  fifty  calls,  and  have  a  hun- 
dred families  yet  to  call  on.  I  am  delegate  to  a 
temperance  convention,  but  can't  go.  Have  ladies' 
meeting  Wednesday,  P.M.,  and  teachers'  meeting  in 
the  evening.  Thursday,  Fast,  and  a  wedding ;  and 
two  sermons  to  write  for  next  Sunday.  Have  a 
bronchitis  these  three  weeks,  which  is  awful ;  but 
otherwise  in  good  health  and  spirits." 

It  is  perfectly  evident,  that  for  one  never  robust, 
and  now  suffering  from  incipient  disease,  he  under- 
took more  than  his  strength  would  warrant,  and  that 
he  must  break  down  under  the  weight  of  incessant 
toil  and  anxiety.  Besides  the  cares  of  his  parish,  he 
had  to  bear  the  burden  of  domestic  trials,  some  of 
which  were  peculiarly  severe.  An  invalid  sister  was 
taken  sick  while  on  a  visit  at  his  house  ;  and  in  less 
than  a  year  from  the  date  of  his  ordination,  Dec.  3, 
his  beloved  wife,  after  giving  birth  to  a  son,  suddenly 


318  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

departed,  leaving  him  to  mourn  her  irreparable  loss. 
Three  days  after  this  melancholy  event,  he  writes  to 
a  friend :  "  The  Providence  that  made  me  a  father, 
has  left  me  a  bereaved  and  desolate  husband.  My 
white  dove  has  flown  upward ;  yet  still  she  cometh 
again,  at  times,  to  bring  an  answer  to  my  prayers, 
and  minister  strength  to  my  fainting  heart.  .  .  . 
How  I  shall  bear  it  I  do  not  know,  —  I  hope  with 
Christian  serenity  and  cheerfulness.  I  trust  to  live 
so  high  and  pure,  that  she  shall  be  to  me  an  ever- 
living  presence.  ...  I  have  no  right  to  complain  ; 
all  reasons  to  be  thankful.  Had  I  loved  her  less,  I 
could  not  bear  it  so  well.  But  these  years  of  our 
union  have  blessed  me  with  more  and  fuller  happi- 
ness than  often  comes  in  a  long  life.  Blessed  be 
their  memory  and  hers,  in  ministering  sweet  influ- 
ences and  sanctifying  hopes ;  and  may  God  help  me 
to  show,  in  my  own  example,  the  serenity  of  faith 
that  I  have  preached  to  others  as  the  Christian's  duty 
and  privilege  !  " 

We  will  not  deny  ourselves  the  pleasure  of  giving 
an  extract  from  another  letter,  written  a  few  days 
later,  Dec.  17  :  "  True  I  have  stood  face  to  face 
with  stern  realities,  and  the  angel  of  discipline  is 
bruising  from  my  heart  the  black  blood  of  selfish- 
ness ;  but  the  blessed  angel  of  my  love  stands  by  me 
also,  to  pour  the  oil  of  healing  on  the  smarting 
wound.  You  know  I  have  had  all  possible  consola- 
tions, —  the  blessed  memories  of  seven  years  of  hap- 


•WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  319 

piness,  full  and  perfect  enough  to  make  me  all  my 
life  thankful  to  God,  bring  the  future  what  it  may ; 
the  very  tenderness  and  fulness  of  sympathy  from 
many  a  heart ;  and  what  is  dearest  of  all,  next  to  my 
faith  in  immortality,  a  constant  sense  —  I  was  going 
to  say  a  consciousness — of  the  presence  of  the  departed. 
It  is  not  sight  nor  sound  nor  touch,  and  yet  there 
are  times  when  I  see  and  hear  and  feel  her  pi'esence  ; 
and  now  I  know  that  I  believe  what  I  was  not  quite 
sure  before  could  bear  such  a  test." 

Two  weeks  later,  he  writes  :  "  My  health  is  not 
very  good.  Living  the  last  month  in  a  state  of  ex- 
treme nervous  excitement,  and  compelled  to  do  a 
good  deal  of  mental  labor,  I  have  got  worn  down.  I 
hardly  expect  to  stay  here  another  year.  My  throat  is 
troublesome  again,  though  I  use  it  as  much  as  I  want 
to.  It  would  be  hard  to  go  away,  yet  you  will  not 
wonder  that  all  other  trials  seem  light  to  me  now ; 
and  though  life  still  looks  cheerful  and  happy  to  me, 
and  the  world  is  as  far  from  being  a  '  vale  of  tears '  as 
ever,  yet  you  can  understand  how  every  thing  but 
duty  should  seem  almost  indifferent  to  me,  —  every 
thing  but  duty  and  death.  Sternly  beautiful  stands 
the  former  to  me,  and  I  fuel  consecrated  anew  in  the 
baptism  of  sorrow ;  but,  oh,  how  welcome  at  any 
moment  were  the  latter,  how  great  a  privilege,  if  to- 
night I  could  lie  down  in  my  last  sleep,  to  wake  in 
the  light  of  her  smile,  and  the  morning  of  her  eternal 
blessedness  !  " 


320  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

It  is  evident,  from  these  extracts,  that  the  disci- 
pline of  sorrow  had  not  been  lost  upon  him  ;  that  it 
gave  him  spiritual  insight,  and  brought  him  into  a 
nearer  communion  with  the  Source  of  all  good  influ- 
ence. It  will  be  seen,  too,  what  was  apparent  at 
the  time  to  all  who  knew  him,  and  what  his  friends 
lamented  as  a  fatal  mistake,  that  he  habitually  over- 
worked himself,  and  neglected  to  observe  the  laws  of 
health.  Indeed,  he  acknowledged  as  much  himself. 
"  Both  mentally  and  physically,"  he  writes,  "  I  am 
suffering  the  results  of  high-pressure  work."  His 
friends  were  more  ready  to  excuse  him  than  he  was 
to  excuse  himself.  They  knew  that  it  was  a  self- 
sacrificing,  martyr  spirit  that  urged  him  on,  —  the 
same  spirit  that  led  the  apostle  to  say,  "  But  none  of 
these  things  move  me,  neither  count  I  my  life  dear 
unto  myself,  so  that  I  might  finish  my  course  with 
joy ; "  essentially  the  same  spirit  that  makes  martyrs 
and  confessors  and  Christian  heroes.  Though  his 
ministry  was  short,  and  though  his  labors  were  often 
interrupted  by  physical  weakness  and  disease,  it 
could  not  be  regarded  as  a  failure.  On  the  contrary, 
judging  from  the  strong  hold  that  he  gained  on  the 
affections  of  a  large  and  united  people,  and  the  esti- 
mation in  which  he  was  held  by  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry,  and  by  the  public  generally  wherever  he 
was  known,  it  was  an  uncommonly  fortunate  one. 
He  was  a  man  to  be  loved.  His  very  looks  inspired 
confidence,  and  won  esteem.  His  connection  with 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

the  Worcester  Association  is  remembered  with  pecu- 
liar interest.  His  presence  at  our  meetings  was  most 
welcome ;  for  he  was  always  wide  awake,  and  his 
conversation  was  replete  with  wit  and  wisdom. 

But  we  must  hasten  to  the  closing  scenes  of  his 
ministry  and  his  life. 

Feb.  21,  1848,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Phila  A.  Field,  of  Northfield,  Mass.  His 
health  continued  to  fail ;  and  he  was  convinced,  at 
length,  that  he  must  retire  from  the  field  which  he 
had  no  longer  strength  to  cultivate  in  a  manner  satis- 
factory to  himself.  His  request  for  a  dismission  was 
reluctantly  granted,  July  31 ;  and  it  was  "  voted 
unanimously  to  continue  his  salary  to  him  till  the 
first  day  of  November  next."  On  Friday,  the  15th 
of  September,  he  removed  with  his  wife  and  child  to 
Dorchester,  and,  on  the  following  Sunday,  preached 
at  Taunton,  the  last  time  that  he  entered  the  pulpit. 
After  a  severe  exposure  on  his  way  home,  he  was 
taken  seriously  ill,  and  soon  became  alarmingly  sick. 
On  being  told,  some  time  after,  that  he  was  thought 
not  likely  to  live,  he  looked  up  with  a  smile,  and 
said,  "  I  am  ready." 

"  On  the  morning  of  his  decease,  he  was  observed 
to  be  sinking  rapidly,  and  his  wife  was  called  in  from 
her  sick-room,  where  she  had  been  confined  for  sev- 
eral weeks  by  a  fever.  lie  smiled  upon  her,  and 
reached  out  his  hand,  but  was  unable  to  speak." 

He  died  on  the  30th  of  .October  ;  and,  after  fune- 
21 


322  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

ral  services  in  Rev.  Mr.  Hall's  church  in  Dorchester, 
his  remains  were  conveyed  to  Leominster,  where,  on 
Friday,  Nov.  3,  his  friend  and  neighbor,  Rev.  Calvin 
Lincoln,  of  Fitchburg,  preached  an  appropriate  dis- 
course in  the  presence  of  a  great  and  sympathizing 
congregation.  The  Worcester  Association  of  Minis- 
ters were  present  on  the  occasion,  and  looked  once 
more  upon  the  countenance  of  their  beloved  brother, 
and  followed  in  the  melancholy  procession  that  ac- 
companied the  remains  to  their  last  resting-place. 

"  There  he  sleeps  beneath  the  virgin  soil ;  while 
the  spring-flower  above  him,  in  its  early  decay,  shall 
image  to  the  heart  his  brief  life ;  and  the  pine-trees, 
that  wave  over  him  in  their  perennial  verdure,  shall 
be  the  emblems  of  the  influence  which  he  has  left 
behind." 

Mr.  Withington  had,  by  his  first  wife,  one  child, 
a  son,  who  still  lives,  I  believe,  in  Dorchester. 

A  sermon  on  "Immortality,"  addressed  to  chil- 
dren, and  the  article  in  the  "  Christian  Examiner," 
on  "  Mysticism,"  already  mentioned,  were  all  of  Mr. 
Withington's  writings  published  during  his  life.  The 
extracts  from  his  sermons  and  his  epistolary  corre- 
spondence, given  in  the  Memoir  above  quoted,  show 
that  he  was  an  original  thinker,  as  well  as  an  accom- 
plished writer. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  323 


REV.  RUFUS  A.  JOHNSON,  GRAFTON. 

A  division  of  the  old  Congregational  society  in 
Grafton,  in  consequence  of  the  dismission  of  their 
pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Searle,  took  place,  Dec.  3,  1831. 
The  church  in  a  body,  with  a  large  minority  of 
the  parish,  withdrew,  thereby  relinquishing  their 
rights  as  members  of  the  First  Congregational  So- 
ciety, forming  a  new  parish,  and  erecting  for  their 
use  a  new  and  handsome  church  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Common.  In  consequence  of  this  withdrawal 
of  all  the  members  of  the  church,  a  new  church, 
consisting  at  first  of  nineteen  members,  was  organ- 
ized Aug.  5,  1832,  in  connection  with  the  old 
society,  under  the  auspices  of  Rev.  E.  B.  Hall,  who, 
after  leaving  Northampton,  supplied  the  pulpit  of 
the  First  Parish  for  several  months,  previous  to  his 
settlement  in  Providence. 

At  length,  Oct.  16,  1833,  Rev.  Rufus  A.  Johnson, 
a  graduate  of  the  Cambridge  Divinity  School,  was 
installed  as  minister,  where  he  continued  to  labor 
till  his  dismission,  March  12,  1838,  —  five  years  and 
five  months.  During  most  of  this  period,  —  viz.,  from 
April,  1834,  till  his  dismission,  —  he  was  an  acting 
and  efficient  member  of  the  Worcester  Association; 
taking  an  interest  in  the  meetings  of  that  body,  and 
doing  his  part  to  render  those  meetings  attractive 
and  useful. 


324  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

As  I  had  no  acquaintance  with  him  till  his  settle- 
ment in  Grafton,  I  give  an  account  of  his  early  life 
and  character  chiefly  in  the  words  of  another,  an 
associate  in  his  theological  studies,  and  an  intimate 
friend,  —  Rev.  Dr.  Lathrop,  of  Boston:  — 

"  His  family  was  very  respectable  in  character, 
poor  in  worldly  goods,  and  with  some  hereditary  ten- 
dency to  insanity.  He  learned,  or  partly  learned,  a 
shoemaker's  trade ;  but,  being  quite  ambitious,  he 
qualified  himself  to  keep  school,  and  was  employed 
—  not,  I  think,  until  he  had  taught  one  or  two  pre- 
vious winters  —  in  Brighton. 

"  While  there,  Rev.  Daniel  Austin,  then  a  minis- 
ter in  Brighton,  became  interested  in  him,  and  urged 
him  to  enter  the  Divinity  School  at  Cambridge. 

"  While  in  the  school,  he  was  generally  regarded 
as  a  young  man  of  high  Christian  aim,  superior 
ability,  and  great  professional  premise ;  to  wrhich 
last,  however,  there  were  the  drawbacks  of  a  certain 
bluntness  and  impetuosity  in  his  social  intercourse, 
which  might  fail  to  conciliate  those  whom  his  preach- 
ing might  edify.  During  a  considerable  part  of  the 
time  that  he  was  at  Divinity  Hall,  he  was  a  dyspep- 
tic; and  this  disease  sometimes  made  him  quite  mel- 
ancholy, though  without  ever  impairing  his  reason. 
But,  for  the  most  part,  he  was  happy,  fond  of  society, 
deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  the  school,  and 
industrious,  though  spasmodically  rather  than  con- 
tinuously. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  325 

"  On  leaving  the  school,  he  was  ordained  as  an 
evangelist  in  Dr.  Channing's  church  in  Boston,  with 
Pittsburgh,  Penn.,  as  his  destination.  I  think  that  he 
stayed  but  six  months  at  Pittsburgh ;  certainly  less 
than  a  year.  While  there,  he  was  brought  to  death's 
door  by  a  malignant  fever,  and  was  delirious  for 
many  days.  Either  while  there  or  on  his  return, 
by  some  casualty,  I  forget  what,  he  lost  his  entire 
stock  of  sermons  and  manuscripts,  which  gave  him 
much  uneasiness  and  trouble.  I  am  inclined  to  think, 
that  the  illness,  the  casualty,  or  both,  helped  to 
develop  the  hereditary  tendency  to  insanity.  Cer- 
tain it  is,  that,  after  his  return  from  Pittsburgh,  he 
never  seemed  to  me  the  same  man  that  he  was  before  ; 
and  his  success  fell  at  the  highest  very  far  short  of 
his  promise  ;  while  there  were,  both  in  his  speech 
and  writing,  for  many  years  distinct  outflashings  of  the 
man  that  I  remembered.  I  did  not  confess  to  myself 
that  he  was  insane  for  several  years  ;  but  I  distinctly 
remember  his  appearing  very  strangely  at  the  time  of 
his  marriage  :  and,  after  his  wife's  death,  he  made 
me  a  visit,  in  which  he  said  and  did  so  many  odd 
things,  that  it  needed  all  my  friendship  for  him  to 
bear  with  him  ;  and  the  family  in  which  I  boarded 
thought  him  insane.  My  sincere  conviction  is,  that, 
so  far  as  he  was  an  accountable  being,  he  was  a  true- 
hearted,  Christian  man  ;  and  that  the  cloud  that  rests, 
as  I  know,  over  his  whole  ministry,  is  a  cloud  stretched 
over  it  by  a  mysterious  Providence,  and  not  by  his 
own  folly  or  sin." 


326  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  to  Miss  Annah  Hill,  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Aaron  Hill,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge, 
in  March,  1834  ;  and,  in  the  following  July,  her  sud- 
den death  gave  him  a  shock  from  which  he  never 
fully  recovered.  He  continued,  however,  to  hold  his 
place  till  March,  1838,  when,  by  mutual  consent,  he 
took  a  dismission  from  his  pastoral  charge.  Some  time 
in  the  following  autumn  or  winter,  he  became  editor 
of  the  "  Christian  Register,"  the  duties  of  which 
office  he  fulfilled  to  general  acceptance  for  more  than 
a  year.  It  was  during  this  period,  as  I  learn  from 
the  same  friend  with  whom  he  was  in  daily  commu- 
nication, that  he  began  to  show  marks  of  insanity. 
"  I  was  observant,"  he  writes,  "  of  its  first  begin- 
nings and  progress,  till  it  broke  him  down  com- 
pletely. It  became  so  bad  in  April,  1840,  that  I 
conferred  with  P.  upon  the  subject,  who  came  up 
to  Boston  for  the  purpose  ;  and,  at  our  suggestion, 
Johnson,  as  soon  as  the  weather  became  pleasant 
enough  in  May,  started  on  a  horseback  journey  for 
five  or  six  weeks,  I  agreeing  to  take  charge  of  the 
'  Register '  during  his  absence.  The  journey  did  him 
no  good ;  his  letters  to  me,  written  almost  daily, 
showing  that  his  delusion  was  increasing  instead  of 

o  o 

diminishing  :  and,  on  his  return,  he  was  clearly  inad- 
equate to  the  duties  of  editor,  and  I  took  permanent 
charge  of  the  '  Register '  with  brother  B. ;  and  Mr. 
Johnson  passed  the  summer  with  his  friends,  and  a 
part  of  the  next  winter,  I  think,  at  Charleston,  S.C., 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  327 

where  he  had  a  relative.  Subsequently,  he  boarded 
iu  Boston,  doing  nothing  but  walking  the  streets,  and 
writing  insane  letters  to  me.  In  the  spring  of  1844 
or  1845,  I  forget  which,  he  applied  to  me,  having 
passed  the  winter  with  his  friends,  to  get  him  back 
to  edit  the  '  Register.'  I  made  agreement  with  him, 
that  if,  for  four  weeks,  he  would  write  for  me  as 
editor,  and  I  liked  his  articles,  and  thought  that  they 
showed  that  his  mind  was  not  impaired ;  and  if,  dur- 
ing all  these  weeks,  he  would  not  speak  or  write  one 
word  on  the  subject  he  was  deluded  about, —  I  would 
then  tell  Mr.  Reed  that  I  thought  he  was  competent 
to  take  charge  of  the  *  Register'  again.  He  assented  to 
the  agreement,  and  kept  it.  For  weeks  he  was  daily 
in  my  study ;  furnished  a  large  amount  of  original 
matter  for  the  '  Register,'  portions  of  which  I  pub- 
lished under  the  editorial  head,  others  as  communi- 
cations ;  and,  during  the  whole  four  weeks,  never 
alluded  in  any  way  to  the  forbidden  subject,  or  to 
his  delusion  :  but,  the  very  morning  that  the  four 
weeks  expired,  I  had  a  letter  from  him,  begin- 
ning, — 

"  '  The  person  who  for  four  weeks  can  keep  abso- 
lute silence  upon  a  subject  on  which  his  friends  think 
him  insane,  proves,  by  that  very  silence,  that  the  in- 
sanity exists  only  in  the  imagination  of  his  friends.' 
He  then  went  on  for  ten  or  twelve  pages  in  the 
wildest  and  most  absurd  declarations,"  &c. 

Accordingly,  he  was  at  once  sent  to  the  hospital 


328  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

at  Worcester,  and  continued  there  till  about  two  or 
three  years  since,  1857  or  1858,  when  he  was  taken 
out  by  his  friends,  with  whom  he  lived  till  his  death. 
He  died  in  Upton,  Sept.  27,  1860,  at  the  age  of 
fifty -one. 

"  I  think,"  says  the  friend  to  whom  I  am  indebted 
for  the  interesting  account  here  given  of  his  insanity, 
"  he  was  a  man  of  strong  mind,  a  sound  thinker,  and 
a  writer  of  ability  and  power."  —  "  He  was  a  man," 
writes  Dr.  Hill,  of  Worcester,  "  of  strong  passions 
and  propensities,  and  of  a  good  deal  of  mental  vigor. 
Had  he  been  favored,  he  might  have  been  distin- 
guished." 

After  these  testimonials  and  statements,  coming 
from  gentlemen  of  the  highest  respectability,  who 
had  ample  opportunities  to  know  intimately  the  sub- 
ject of  this  memoir,  I  hardly  deem  it  necessary  to 
add  my  own  impressions  respecting  one  with  whom 
my  acquaintance  was  but  slight.  1  will  say,  how- 
ever, that  these  testimonials  are  confirmed  by  what  I 
remember  of  our  unfortunate  brother,  whom  I  occa- 
sionally met  on  our  exchanges,  and  often  at  the 
meetings  of  our  Association,  which  he  usually  at- 
tended. I  visited  him  once  while  he  was  an  inmate 
of  the  hospital,  when  he  conversed  freely  on  common 
topics,  without  betraying  any  symptoms  of  insanity. 
He  was  a  man  of  robust  frame,  above  the  medium 
size,  and  of  a  remarkably  healthy  countenance.  He 
had  a  strong,  manly  voice,  and  delivered  his  well- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  329 

written  sermons  with  much  force,  and  with  so  much 
labor  as  in  midwinter  to  cause  drops  of  perspiration 
to  stand  on  his  ample  forehead. 

REV.  PETER  OSGOOD,  STERLING. 

In  the  list  of  deceased  members  of  the  Worcester 
Association  we  are  at  length  called  to  place  the 
name  of  our  beloved  brother,  Peter  Osgood,  for 
twenty  years  the  faithful  and  devoted  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Sterling.  Mr.  Osgood  had  first  joined 
the  Lancaster  Association  in  1819,  and,  on  the  fol- 
lowing year,  became  a  member  of  the  Worcester 
Association,  when  the  two  associations  were  united, 
and  became  one  body. 

Peter  Osgood  was  born  in  Andover,  Mass.,  Feb.  4, 
1793,  and  was  the  son  of  Peter  and  Hannah  (Por- 
ter) Osgood.  He  entered  Harvard  College  in  1810, 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  graduating  with  the  class  of 
1814;  having,  for  his  classmates,  Prescott  the  histo- 
rian, President  James  Walker,  Rev.  Dr.  Lamson, 
and  other  men  of  distinction.  His  college  life  was 
irreproachable  ;  and  he  held  a  respectable  rank  among 
his  classmates. 

Immediately  after  graduation,  he  commenced  a 
course  of  theological  studies  at  Cambridge,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  first  class  that  graduated  from  the 
Divinity  School.  lie  soon  received  a  call  from 
the  town  of  Sterling  to  be  their  minister,  and  was 


330  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

ordained  as  the  immediate  successor  of  Rev.  Lemuel 
Capen,  June  30,  1819.  His  field  of  labor  was 
large,  including  the  whole  town ;  and  his  parochial 
duties  were  arduous  and  exhausting.  But  he  gave 
himself  wholly  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  being 
instant  in  season  and  out  of  season  ;  visiting  the  sick, 
comforting  the  afflicted ;  caring  for  all,  however  hum- 
ble their  condition ;  seeking  earnestly  the  highest 
good  of  all  who  came  under  his  influence.  By  vir- 
tue of  his  office,  the  minister  of  those  days  was  the 
superintendent  of  the  public  schools  ;  and,  in  this  de- 
partment of  labor,  Mr.  Osgood  was  a  wise  counsellor, 
and  an  enlightened  and  efficient  friend.  He  also  took 
an  early  and  distinguished  part  in  the  religious  edu- 
cation of  the  young ;  interesting  himself  in  the  Sun- 
day school,  which,  under  his  ministry,  became  one 
of  the  largest  and  best-conducted  Sunday  schools  in 
the  county.  We  have  given  him  credit,  in  a  former 
part  of  this  history,  for  being  the  originator  of  the 
plan  of  Sunday-school  teachers'  conventions,  —  an 
honor  that  is  justly  his  due ;  for  while  others  assisted 
in  maturing  the  plan,  and  in  carrying  it  into  success- 
ful execution,  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of  taking 
the  first  step. 

He  was  not  a  distinguished  scholar  or  a  learned 
theologian ;  but  he  had  a  cultivated  mind,  and  his 
pulpit  services  were  acceptable  to  all  classes,  both  at 
home  and  in  the  neighboring  churches  where  he  was 
known.  There  was  in  his  looks  and  tone  and  whole 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  331 

demeanor  in  the  pulpit,  and  in  all  places  and  at  all 
times,  a  gravity,  an  earnestness,  an  air  of  sanctity, 
that,  without  being  repulsive,  produced  the  convic- 
tion that  he  was  a  true  man,  —  one  to  be  trusted, 
one  in  whom  dwelt  in  large  measure  the  spirit  of 
the  Master,  "  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity."  He 
loved  his  profession ;  he  loved  his  people ;  and, 
as  he  had  no  family  of  his  own,  they  were  to  him  as 
wife  and  children,  and  sisters  and  brothers. 

But,  though  he  remained  through  life  unmarried, 
he  did  not  live  a  solitary  life.  It  was  his  great  good 
fortune  —  a  privilege  which  he  highly  valued  —  to  be 
the  inmate,  during  the  whole  period  of  his  ministry, 
of  excellent,  well-ordered,  happy  homes,  where  he 
received  the  kindest  attentions,  being  treated  as  a 
son  or  a  brother.  Here  he  lived  in  elegant  sim- 
plicity, free  from  domestic  cares,  with  sufficient  if 
not  ample  means,  surrounded  by  kind  and  sympa- 
thizing friends,  and  with  not  one,  it  is  believed,  who 
wished  him  ill.  Thus  he  lived  a  score  of  happy 
years,  feeding  his  flock  like  a  shepherd,  leading 
them  into  green  pastures  and  beside  the  still  wa- 
ters, watching  lest  any  should  stray  from  the  fold, 
or  seeking  to  call  the  wanderers  back.  A  more 
peaceful,  honorable,  useful  ministry  we  have  seldom 
had  the  privilege  to  witness.  His  name  is  held 
in  grateful  esteem  and  lasting  affection  by  many  to 
whom  he  ministered,  who  still  regard  him  as  their 
spiritual  father,  to  whom  they  arc  indebted  for  the 
beginning  of  a  ne.v  and  higher  life. 


332  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

Mr.  Osgood  was,  in  person,  below  the  medium  size, 
and  slightly  built.  He  had  marked  features,  rendered 
more  conspicuous  by  a  narrow,  thin  face,  indicative 
of  feeble  health.  His  whole  appearance,  indeed, 
gave  one  the  impression  that  he  was  constitutionally 
and  incurably  fragile ;  and  he  had  not  been  long  in 
the  ministry  before  he  gave  unmistakable  marks  of 
decay  and  the  approach  of  mortal  disease.  But  so 
strong  was  his  hold  on  the  affections  of  his  people, 
that  they  would  not  consent  to  his  dismission,  so 
long  as  any  hope  of  his  recovery  remained. 

In  a  communication  to  the  writer,  he  speaks  of  his 
ministry  in  the  following  modest  terms :  "  My  minis- 
try in  Sterling  was  a  happy  one.  Though  my  labors 
were  frequently  interrupted  by  ill  health,  I  lived  in 
harmony  with  my  people  at  all  times,  and  can  call  to 
mind  at  this  time  no  incident  of  particular  interest 
which  is  worthy  of  notice,  so  even  was  the  tenor 
of  my  way.  In  the  spring  of  18o9,  I  sent  in  my 
resignation  of  my  pastoral  office  to  the  parish.  The 
parish,  by  vote,  requested  me  to  withdraw  my  resigna- 
tion for  a  year,  and  to  give  the  time  to  the  resto- 
ration of  my  health,  they  supplying  the  pulpit.  I 
complied  with  their  request ;  but  at  the  end  of  the 
year,  my  health  not  being  restored,  I  withdrew  my 
relation  as  pastor  with  the  church." 

In  1860,  in  a  letter  to  the  same,  he  thus  describes 
his  situation :  "  Since  that  time,"  —  that  is,  the  time  of 
his  dismission,  —  "I  have  resided  at  North  Andover, 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  333 

on  the  farm  where  I  was  born,  and  have  employed 
myself  in  agricultural  pursuits.  1  preached  occasion- 
ally till  five  years  ago,  when  I  had  a  slight  paralytic 
shock,  since  which  time  I  have  not  spoken  in  public. 
A  year  ago  last  December,  I  had  the  misfortune  to 
fall  on  the  ice  and  to  injure  my  hip-joint.  Since 
that  time,  I  have  not  been  able  to  walk,  except  with 
the  help  of  a  crutch  and  chair.  ...  I  can  read  and 
hear  reading,  so  that  I  have  still  many  blessings  with 
my  privations.  .  .  .  My  health  through  the  winter 
(1859—60)  was  very  comfortable ;  and  I  was  able 
to  attend  public  woi'ship  the  first  sabbath  in  May. 
Since  then,  I  have  not  been  so  well,  —  have  suffered 
from  indigestion,  and  have  been  confined  to  the 
house." 

From  this  time,  his  health  gradually  declined. 
Disease  impaired  his  mental  powers,  so  that,  for  the 
hist  few  years,  he  became  insensible  to  all  about  him, 
even  to  the  presence  of  his  friends.  From  this  state 
of  utter  helplessness  and  insensibility  he  was  deliv- 
ered when  his  spirit  took  its  flight,  and  entered 
into  the  rest  that  remaineth  for  the  people  of  God. 
He  died  Aug.  27,  1865,  in  the  seventy-fourth  year 
of  his  age. 

Mr.  Osgood,  though  never  a  zealot  or  a  partisan 
in  the  bad  sense  of  those  terms,  was  not  an  uncon- 
cerned spectator  of  the  course  of  events  that  led 
to  the  fratricidal  war  through  which  this  nation  has 
just  passed.  In  January,  1861,  he  thus  writes: 


334  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

"  I  take  a  deep  interest  in  our  political  history,  and 
feel  a  strong  assurance  that  all  events  will  be  over- 
ruled by  Providence  for  the  overthrow  of  slavery, 
and  the  establishment  of  liberty  throughout  all  our 
country.  It  may  be,"  he  adds,  "  at  the  price  of  much 
blood ;  but  better  sacrifice  life  than  principle." 

That  price  was  paid ;  that  sacrifice  —  oh,  how 
costly  !  —  was  made,  and  our  country  was  saved  :  but 
our  brother  "  died  without  the  sight."  We  will  not 
doubt,  however,  that  he  sees  it  now,  and  shares  in 
our  joyful  thanksgivings  at  the  return  of  peace. 

We  subjoin  the  following  just  tribute  to  the  mem- 
ory of  our  brother  Osgood,  contained  in  a  letter  to 
the  writer  from  a  former  member  of  his  parish  :  — 

"  I  have  thought  it  strange,"  she  writes,  "  that  so 
little  notice  was  taken  of  Mr.  Osgood's  decease ;  for 
it  seemed  to  me,  that,  in  the  work  of  his  ministry,  he 
was  in  some  respects  remarkable.  To  singleness  of 
purpose  may  be  attributed  the  efficiency  of  his  labors. 
Directness,  simplicity,  and  earnestness  characterized 
all  his  utterances.  A  minister's  presence  and  in- 
fluence was  never  more  a  fact.  His  fitness  for  the 
pastoral  office  commanded  the  respect  and  admira- 
tion of  his  people.  Although  naturally  grave  and 
reserved,  no  one  welcomed  a  lively,  genial  turn 
more  heartily.  By  some  he  was  thought  cold  and 
austere ;  but,  if  he  so  seemed,  it  was  owing,  I  think, 
to  his  strict  conscientiousness,  which  led  him  to 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  335 

guard  against  any  appearance  of  evil.  He  turned 
the  eye  of  rebuke  upon  offenders,  and  was  anxious 
to  guard  the  lambs  of  his  flock  from  those  who 
would  corrupt  their  innocence.  The  latter  part  of 
his  ministry  was  more  especially  directed  to  the 
cause  of  education ;  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  a  decided  improvement  in  the  tone  of  society, 
as  the  result  of  his  efforts.  The  standard  of  school- 
teachers, books,  lectures,  &c.,  was  signally  advanced. 
The  Sunday  school  especially  was  the  great  burdqn 
of  his  thoughts ;  and  in  this  department  he  was  emi- 
nently successful.  Female  education  he  considered 
of  the  first  importance.  In  a  private  conversation 
on  the  subject,  he  remarked,  '  I  wish  to  see  young 
women  trained  up  so  as  to  make  good  mothers;  for 
upon  them  depend  the  morals  of  the  community.' 

"  Thus  the  good  man  stood  in  the  hearts  of  his 
people,  who  still  hold  him  in  grateful  remembrance. 
"  Very  truly  yours,          E.  R.  WAITE." 

REV.  WILLIAM  AUGUSTUS   WIIITWELL, 
HARVARD. 

My  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Whitwell  was  so  slight, 
as  he  remained  with  us  for  so  brief  a  period,  that  I 
shall  let  others,  to  whom  he  was  better  known,  de- 
lineate his  character  in  their  own  words.  Until  he 
came  to  Harvard,  in  1857,  I  knew  him  only  by 
reputation.  While  he  remained  in  that  place,  he 


336  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

met  with  the  Association  a  few  times,  and  took  part 
in  their  discussions  and  doings.  If  not  brilliant  or 
original,  his  remarks  were  always  wise  and  pertinent. 
He  seemed  to  have  a  well-balanced  mind,  sound, 
practical  views,  and  a  scholarly,  cultivated  taste ;  and 
I  believe  that  he  was  generally  esteemed  as  a  good 
and  useful  minister,  —  a  workman  that  needed  not  to 
be  ashamed. 

Mr.  Whitwell  was  born  in  Boston,  Jan.  10,  1804, 
and  was  the  son  of  William  Whitwell,  merchant. 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Hannah  Story, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Isaac  Story,  of  Marblehead. 

In  1824,  he  took  his  first  degree  at  Harvard 
College,  being  a  classmate  of  Rev.  Drs.  Burnap  and 
Newell.  Having  completed  his  course  of  profes- 
sional studies  at  the  Divinity  School,  Cambridge,  he 
began  his  ministerial  life  in  Walpole,  N.H.,  where 
he  was  ordained  in  1830.  From  that  place  he  re- 
moved to  Rochester,  N.Y.,  supplying  the  pulpit  of 
the  Unitarian  church  in  that  place  for  some  time, 
when  he  received  a  call  from  the  Unitarian  society 
in  Hallowell,  Me.  Thence  he  removed  to  Calais, 
Me.,  where  he  was  installed  in  1832,  and  where  he 
remained  about  nine  years.  During  his  ministry  in 
this  place,  his  services  were  very  acceptable,  and  his 
labors  were  crowned  with  encouraging  success.  A 

O         O 

new  house  of  worship  was  erected,  and  many  were 
added  unto  the  church.  In  1841,  he  was  called  to 
Houlton,  Me.,  and  supplied  the  church  in  that  place 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  337 

nearly  two  years,  and  where  his  services  are  said  to 
have  been  highly  appreciated.  Thence,  in  1842,  he 
removed  to  Wilton,  where  he  remained  till  1850. 
He  began  to  supply  the  pulpit  in  Easton  the  same 
year,  from  which  place  he  removed  to  Harvard,  in 
1857  ;  and  thence,  in  1860,  to  Chestnut  Hill,  New- 
ton, where  he  remained  till  his  death,  Feb.  10,  1865. 
He  was  married,  in  1837,  to  Eliza  Galvin,  of  Port- 
land, Me.  He  had  just  entered  on  his  sixty-second 
year  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  left  a  widow,  but 
no  children. 

From  an  obituary  notice  in  the  "  Christian  In- 
quirer," I  am  permitted  to  take  the  following  extracts. 
The  notice  was  written  by  his  friend  and  relative, 
Rev.  Edward  I.  Galvin,  of  Brookfield. 

"  From  earliest  childhood,  I  have  regarded  him 
with  filial  affection  ;  and  to  me  he  has  been  as  a 
father,  a  teacher,  and  friend.  It  is  pleasant  to  dwell 
upon  that  pure  and  beautiful  life,  whose  outlines 
were  filled  with  Christian  virtues.  Though  his  life 
was  an  humble  and  retired  one,  yet  the  world  was 
better  for  his  having  lived  in  it.  In  every  commu- 
nity where  he  dwelt,  his  true  worth  was  acknowl- 
edged. In  Calais,  Me.,  in  Wilton,  N.H.,  in  Easton 
and  Harvard,  Mass.,  where  the  years  of  his  ministry 
were  chiefly  spent,  he  left  large  circles  of  friends, 
who  have  always  held  him  in  grateful  and  endearing 
remembrance.  Shrinking  from  what  is  commonly 

known  as  popularity,  he  nevertheless  exerted  a  wide 

22 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 


influence  by  the  very  goodness  of  his  character,  which 
was  none  the  less  potent  because  he  was  unconscious 
of  it.  By  his  simplicity  and  childlike  confidence,  he 
won  the  affections  of  everybody  around  him.  There 
was  nothing  like  concealment  or  suspicion'  in  his 
nature.  It  was  clear  and  open  as  the  day  ;  and  his 
disposition  was  ever  genial  and  sunny.  The  lines 
on  his  face  were  the  traces  of  the  cheery  smiles 
which  loved  to  use  it  for  their  play-ground.  His 
heart  was  so  warmed  by  his  beautiful  faith  in  the 
fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man,  that 
it  ever  kept  his  sympathies  tenderly  alive.  The 
sorrowing  and  needy  found  in  him  a  comforter  and 
friend.  His  charity  was  full  and  never-failing.  In 
the  world's  estimate,  he  was  poor,  possessing  only  the 
limited  means  of  *  a  country  parson.'  And  yet  to 
me  he  seemed  always  rich.  His  purse,  like  the 
widow's  cruse,  never  gave  out.  Like  the  fairy's 
wallet,  it  always  had  a  dollar  in  it.  He  dispensed 
alms  regardless  of  expense,  like  the  good  missionary 
Eliot.  He  fed  the  hungry,  clothed  the  naked,  and 
sent  the  poor  from  his  door  with  generous  gifts  and 
kindest  words.  There  was  not  a  trace  of  selfishness 
or  worldliness  in  his  disposition ;  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, he  was  open-hearted  and  open-handed. 

"  During  Mr.  Whitwell's  ministry  of  more  than 
thirty- five  years,  he  was  always  faithful  and  earnest 
in  his  labors.  His  sermons  were  characterized  by 
sound  thought  and  fervent  piety.  His  words  came 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  339 

from  the  heart,  and  went  to  the  heart.  Liberally 
educated,  he  found  constant  delight  in  study  and  in 
reading.  His  library,  larger  than  that  of  the  average 
of  country  ministers,  was  composed  of  well-chosen 
volumes.  Among  them  were  some  rare  and  valuable 
works,  which  scholars  and  antiquarians  might  covet. 
.  .  .  Even  till  the  last  days  of  his  life,  Mr.  Whit- 
well  found  pleasure  in  good  books.  His  mind  was 
fresh  and  active  when  his  bodily  powers  were  nearly 
exhausted.  Only  a  month  before  he  died,  he  was 
engaged  in  reading  a  new  translation  of  Homer ; 
and  on  his  sick-bed  he  read  the  last  number  of  the 
'  Christian  Examiner.' 

"  The  closing  hours  of  this  good  man's  life  were 
in  perfect  harmony  with  his  preceding  years.  Sur- 
rounded by  an  affectionate  and  appreciative  people, 
at  whose  hands  he  had  received  every  kindness,  the 
last  three  years  of  his  ministry  in  Chestnut  Hill, 
Newton,  had  been  peaceably  and  happily  spent.  He 
spoke  frequently,  and  with  deepest  gratitude,  of  his 
little  flock.  To  them  he  had  endeared  himself,  as 
well  by  his  friendly  intercourse  in  their  own  homes, 
as  by  his  weekly  ministrations  in  their  beautiful  little 
chapel.  Godliness  and  contentment  were  his  great 
gain.  Death  had  no  gloom  to  him,  because  he  re- 
garded it  as  the  passing-on  of  the  spirit  to  a  higher  and 
better  life.  Happy  and  resigned,  he  parted  with  his 
wife  and  friends  with  the  brief  and  tender  farewell, 
'  Let  me  go  :  good-by.'  His  death  was  like  a  beautiful 


340  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

translation.  The  words  of  Dr.  Peabody  seem  most 
applicable  here :  '  There  sometimes  pass  away  from 
us  those  whose  death-chamber  seems  an  Ascension 
Mount,  and  we  can  almost  see  them  go,  so  sure  are 
we  that  they  go  home  to  God.  From  them  we  need 
no  parting  words ;  nay,  we  sometimes  feel  glad  that 
no  strongly  marked  closing  scene  intervened  to  rival 
the  beautiful  testimony  of  a  holy  life,  and  to  distract 
our  thoughts  from  their  free  range  over  the  succes- 
sive stages  of  a  heavenly  pilgrimage.  We  prefer 
witnessing,  till  the  last  moment,  the  same  blending 
of  social  and  religious  traits  and  affections  which  we 
have  seen  in  them  for  months  and  years.' " 

The  following  beautiful  tribute  to  his  memory,  by 
another  personal  friend,  Rev.  William  P.  Tilden,  of 
Boston,  I  take  the  liberty  to  introduce.  I  wish  I 
could  give  it  in  the  still  more  glowing  words  he  used 
in  addressing  the  Alumni  of  the  Divinity  School, 
Cambridge,  Commencement  week.  In  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  the  writer,  he  thus  speaks  of  his  friend  : 
"  I  knew  him  well.  He  was  a  good  man  and  true  ; 
simple  as  a  child,  but  strong  in  faith,  hope,  and  love. 
It  was  my  privilege  to  be  with  him,  an  hour  or  so, 
the  day  before  he  died.  He  received  me  with  a 
sweet  smile ;  was  calm  and  trustful,  leaning  in  child- 
like faith  upon  his  Father's  arm.  I  expressed  my 
joy  at  finding  him  so  peaceful.  He  turned  his  great 
clear  eyes  upon  me,  lustrous  with  resurrection-light, 
and  said,  '  Why,  of  course :  where  have  I  been  for 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  341 

the  last  thirty  years  ? '  As  if  he  had  said,  '  Have  I 
been  preaching  the  fatherly  love  of  God  during  all 
these  years,  and  shall  I  not  trust  him  now  in  the 
crisis-hour  ? '  It  was  a  most  beautiful  exhibition  of 
Christian  faith,  undoubting  and  childlike,  in  the 
fatherly  love  of  God,  most  refreshing  to  witness." 

In  1848,  Mr.  Whitwell  published  a  "  New  Trans- 
lation of  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Romans,"  which  bears 
marks  of  diligent  study,  scholarship,  and  good  judg- 
ment. He  was  also  one  of  the  compilers  of  the 
"  Cheshire  Collection  of  Hymns  for  Public  Wor- 
ship." 

REV.  JARED   MANN    HEARD,   CLINTON    AND 
FITCHBURG. 

None  can  easily  forget  the  shock  we  received  on 
hearing  of  the  sudden  death  of  our  brother  Heard,  the 
talented,  accomplished,  and  much-beloved  minister  of 
Fitchburg.  My  acquaintance  with  him  began  while 
he  was  in  Clinton  ;  and,  from  the  first,  I  was  led 
to  form  a  very  favorable  opinion  of  him  as  a  man 
and  a  Christian  minister.  He  won  esteem  at  once 
by  his  gentle  manners,  his  conversational  talent,  and 
his  public  services.  I  was  attracted,  too,  by  his  fine 
intellectual  countenance,  beaming,  not  only  intelli- 
gence, but  benignity,  and  witnessed  with  deep  interest 
his  growth  from  year  to  year  in  knowledge,  wisdom, 
and  Christian  manliness.  He  joined  our  Association 


342  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

soon  after  his  settlement  in  Clinton,  and  at  once 
took  a  high  stand  among  the  brethren,  as  a  skilful 
writer  and  a  graceful  and  eloquent  speaker.  I  was 
not  surprised  to  learn,  after  a  few  years,  that  his 
services  were  called  for  in  a  larger  field  ;  and,  while 
we  sympathized  with  his  little  flock  in  Clinton  in 
their  disappointment  and  loss,  we  rejoiced  that  he 
was  not  removed  out  of  our  circle,  and  that  we  might 
still  hope  to  be  enriched  by  his  wisdom  and  gladdened 
by  his  presence  at  the  meetings  of  the  Association ; 
while  we  congratulated  our  friends  in  Fitchburg  on 
their  good  fortune  in  securing  the  services  of  so  good 
a  minister.  We  were  not  disappointed.  He  proved 
to  be  all,  and  more  than,  we  had  hoped.  During  his 
yery  brief  ministry  in  Fitchburg,  he  gained  a  place 
in  the  affections  of  his  people,  and  in  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  the  whole  community,  that  is  sel- 
dom secured  by  years  of  faithful  labor  in  the  pastoral 
office ;  and  his  early  death,  so  sudden,  so  unlooked 
for,  was  felt  as  a  public  calamity. 

But  I  shall  leave  it  for  others  to  delineate  his 
character,  and  to  pronounce  his  eulogy.  From  the 
discourse  preached  at  his  funeral  by  Rev.  Mr.  Sears, 
of  Way  land,  who  knew  him  well,  and  to  whom  he 
was  a  very  dear  friend,  I  make  the  following  ex- 
tracts :  — 

"  Our  brother  had  just  completed  his  thirty-fourth 
year.  This  short  life  was  begun  at  Wayland,  on  the 
16th  of  March,  1830.  There  his  childhood  opened ; 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  343 

there  he  became  familiarized  with  the  fields  and 
streams,  and  drank  the  spirit  of  the  hills.  .  .  .  There, 
where  he  imbibed  health  and  strength  of  mind  and 
muscle,  he  had  an  open  eye  for  all  the  processes  of 
nature.  He  loved  books,  and  was  one  of  the  best 
scholars  in  the  school.  I  think  he  loved  the  open 
book  of  Nature  somewhat  more.  As  his  mind  un- 
folded, he  studied  the  habits  of  insects,  watched 
them  in  their  transformations;  studied  the  habits  and 
diseases  of  plants,  would  discourse  of  them  by  the 
half-hour  ;  entered  enthusiastically  upon  comparative 
anatomy,  and  preserved  skeletons  to  explain  it.  Had 
he  devoted  himself  to  these  pursuits,  he  would  have 
been  such  a  disciple  as  Agassiz  would  have  delighted 
in.  ... 

"  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  entered  Brown  Uni- 
versity, passed  honorably  through  its  course  of  studies, 
and  graduated  in  1853.  In  that  year,  and  only  a 
day  or  two  previous  to  his  Commencement,  an  event 
took  place  which  shaped  his  whole  future  course, 
and  exerted  a  plastic  influence  over  all  his  spiritual 
life.  You,  that  never  had  it,  can  never  know  that 
priceless  treasure  of  a  household,  an  only  sister  or 
an  only  daughter.  Such  our  brother  had,  —  a  sister 
a  little  younger  than  himself;  who,  in  beauty,  affec- 
tion, and  sweetness  of  spirit,  was  all  that  could  draw 
forth  a  brother's  devotion  and  love.  Hut  the  angels 
beckoned  her,  and  she  went  away.  On  tin-  day  that 
she  was  to  start  for  Providence,  to  strew  flowers 


344  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

upon  her  brother's  opening  path,  she  closed  her 
eyes  upon  this  world  for  ever,  and  the  flowers  were 
strewn  upon  her  grave.  The  brother's  heart  was 
well-nigh  breaking,  for  his  affections  were  exceed- 
ingly strong ;  and  for  a  long  time  he  could  see 
nothing  but  that  blank  spot  in  the  household,  and 
that  one  grave  in  the  old  churchyard.  For  days 
and  weeks,  the  charm  of  life  and  the  charm  of  na- 
ture were  completely  broken ;  for  all  her  sights  and 
sounds  had  been  associated  with  a  voice  now  hushed 
for  ever ;  and  he  could  only  answer  to  them,  in  the 
words  of  bereavement, — 

'  The  wild  bee  with  his  buglet  fine, 

The  blackbird  singing  free, 
Break  both  thy  mother's  heart  and  mine : 
They  speak  to  us  of  thee.' 

He  went  to  Susan's  grave,  and  kneeled  upon  it,  and 
prayed  for  light  and  peace.  The  light  and  peace 
came  at  length,  and  ripened  into  high  resolves,  lofty 
aims,  and  holy  vows.  .  .  .  Our  brother's  attention 
was  now  turned  with  great  earnestness  to  the  themes 
of  immortality,  the  mystery  of  death,  and  the  mean- 
ing of  life.  ...  A  self-consecration  to  the  work  of 
life  'more  entire  than  ever  before,  and  a  religious 
earnestness  and  zeal  which  never  ceased  to  burn, 
came  to  him  from  this  great  sorrow  of  his  father's 
house.  These  ripened  into  resolves  so  distinct  and 
clear,  that  they  became  a  voice  within  him  that  called 
him  to  the  ministry  of  Christ.  '  I  hear  it,'  he  would 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  345 

say,  — '  I  hear  it  urging  me  on ;  and  I  dare  not  dis- 
obey it.' 

"  '  I  visited  the  spot,'  he  writes,  '  where  she  lies, 
the  morning  that  I  left  home.  The  rising  sun  had 
bathed  the  whole  firmament  in  a  flood  of  liquid  gold  ; 
and  that  holy  quiet  which  rests  down  upon  every 
thing  in  the  country  between  the  hours  of  day-dawn 
and  sunrise  threw  its  peculiar  charm  over  my  spirit, 
and  I  felt  happy.  I  could  not  refrain  from  exclama- 
tions of  thanksgiving  and  praise.  My  soul  instinctively 
bowed  in  adoration  to  the  God  of  the  morning,  to 
the  God  of  the  resurrection,  of  whose  morning  the 
gilded  sky  was  such  a  perfect  symbol.  I  kneeled 
at  the  head  of  Susan's  grave,  and  offered  an  earnest 
prayer  for  wisdom  to  teach  me,  strength  to  assist  me, 
as  I  was  again  to  start  from  the  quiet  haven  of  home 
upon  the  boisterous  and  deceitful  ocean  of  the  world. 
Into  that  short  half-hour  were  crowded  pleasures 
unspeakable,  whose  elevating  influence  even  now 
hangs  around  my  pathway.' 

"  Such  was  the  spot  where  he  took  his  consecrat- 
ing vows.  How  nobly  he  kept  them  ! 

"  Before  entering  upon  his  chosen  work,  he  went  to 
Providence  as  a  teacher  of  one  of  the  public  schools. 
But  a  new  trial  awaited  him,  —  one  of  the  hardest 
trials  to  a  mind  ardent  and  active  like  his.  A  partial 
failure  of  health  compelled  him  to  quit  his  school, 
and  give  over  his  plans.  But  friends  who  prized 
his  worth,  and  saw  the  power  that  was  in  him,  and 


346  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NE\\r). 

the  good  he  could  do,  always  crossed  his  path.  A 
sea-captain  generously  offered  him  a  passage  to  the 
East  Indies ;  and  he  sought  the  restoratives  of  a  sea- 
voyage.  On  his  return,  he  entered  the  Theological 
School  at  Cambridge  ;  but,  before  completing  the 
three  years'  course,  was  compelled  to  leave  his  stud- 
ies, and  return  to  Wayland.  His  mind  chafed  under 
these  restraints  and  disappointments,  and  preyed  upon 
itself.  .  .  . 

"  But  the  hour  at  length  came,  and  he  rose  out  of 
this  depression  into  the  clear  spiritual  activity  for 
which  he  was  longing.  An  invitation  came  to  him 
from  the  society  at  Clinton  to  supply  their  pulpit. 
He  went  joyfully,  and  breathed  all  his  enthusiasm 
into  his  work.  The  body,  touched  and  magnetized 
by  an  indomitable  will,  refused  no  longer  to  work  in 
harmony  with  the  spirit  within. 

"  He  preached  at  Clinton  with  great  acceptance, 
where  he  was  ordained  Aug.  25,  1858.  His  active 
ministry  there  of  five  years  was  remarkably  success- 
ful. His  parish  honored  and  loved  him.  His  voice, 
I  believe,  was  gladly  heard,  not  only  in  his  own 
pulpit,  but  in  the  whole  circuit  of  his  exchanges. 
The  town  appreciated  his  talents  and  worth,  and 
selected  him  as  its  representative  in  the  Legislature 
during  the  session  of  1862.  .  .  . 

"  It  was  a  severe  trial  to  part  with  his  people, 
with  whom  his  relations  had  been  so  kind  and  har- 
monious ;  but  he  felt  that  he  must  do  it.  He  went 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  347 

there  with  no  preparatory  experience ;  and  he  saw 
that  the  exhaustive  draughts  upon  the  mind  and 
brain  could  not  be  borne  much  longer.  Doubtless 
he  decided  wisely;  and  he  came  among  you  resolved 
to  use  the  results  of  his  five  years'  labor,  and  began 
his  ministry  anew.  With  how  much  self-devotion 
and  ability,  in  the  pulpit,  in  the  parish,  in  the 
Sunday  school ;  and  how  these  promised  to  your 
society  a  new  era  of  increase  and  prosperity,  —  you 
know  yourselves :  and  you  manifested  to  him  your 
appreciation  of  his  worth  by  tokens  of  kindness  and 
generosity,  which  he  felt  deeply  and  gratefully.  One 
short  year  of  his  ministry  had  revealed  him  to  you, 
and  endeared  him  to  your -hearts." 

We  here  leave  the  funeral  discourse,  and  quote 
from  an  obituary  notice  in  the  "  Christian  Register  " 
of  April  2,  1864,  the  following  truthful  portrait  of 
our  lamented  brother,  drawn  by  the  same  hand  :  — 

"  Few  preachers,  in  one  short  year,  ever  impressed 
themselves  more  deeply  upon  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  an  intelligent  community.  With  a  voice  of  great 
depth,  compass,  and  power,  which  could  sweep  the 
largest  congregations  with  the  utmost  ease  ;  with  a 
countenance  '  whose  look  drew  audience ; '  in  the 
large  brow  and  dark  eye,  which  answered  to  the 
kindlings  of  thought  or  affection ;  logical  powers 
strong  by  nature,  and  drilled  .under  the  peculiar 
training  of  Dr.  Wayland  ;  rare  extemporaneous  gilts, 
by  which  he  would  pour  his  rapid  thoughts  into  a 


348  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

discourse,  and  mate  it  more  impressive  than  his 
written  words  ;  an  enthusiasm  that  breathed  itself 
into  every  good  cause,  and  inspired  it ;  love  of  chil- 
dren, that  touched  every  sabbath  school  he  entered, 
and  woke  it  into  life ;  sympathies  exceedingly  warm 
and  tender;  kindness  to  the  poor,  whom  he  sought 
out  with  open  hand ;  above  all,  a  conscientious  de- 
votion to  his  profession,  to  which  he  had  consecrated 
himself  by  early  vows,  —  by  gifts  like  these,  .in  one 
year  he  Avon  the  hearts  of  his  people  and  of  the 
whole  town,  as  few  have  ever  done.  At  the  burial 
service,  the  church  where  he  had  ministered  was 
crowded,  not  only  by  his  own  people,  but  by  those 
of  his  former  charges ;  and  friends  from  the  other 
societies,  who  honored  and  loved  him  as  a  brother, 
and  old  men  and  little  children,  wept  together." 

The  account  of  his  last  days  and  dying  hours  is 
peculiarly  touching  and  impressive  :  — 

"  He  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years.  The 
disease,  diphtheria,  made  rapid  progress ;  but,  up  to 
the  Sunday  evening  before  his  death,  his  friends 
were  not  greatly  alarmed.  At  midnight,  the  watch- 
ers came  down  with  the  intelligence  that  he  could 
not  be  roused.  The  physicians  were  called,  and  the 
family  gathered  around  his  bed.  At  length  they 
succeeded,  for  a  moment,  in  calling  him  back  to  con- 
sciousness. He  seemed  to  know  that  the  grasp  of 
death  was  upon  him  ;  and,  as  if  feeling  a  conquering 
power  over  it,  he  raised  himself,  leaned  his  elbow 


WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  349 

upon  his  pillow,  and,  turning  his  clear,  dark  eye  upon 
the  friends  around  him,  spake  in  the  full,  deep  tones 
of  his  voice  :  '  Immortality  !  How  they  perplex  and 
mystify  ! '  And,  pressing  his  hand  to  his  breast,  — 
*  Here  is  the  proof;  here  is  demonstration.'  Then 
he  added,  '  I  am  ;  therefore  God  is  : '  and  turning  to 
his  wife  with  a  smile,  that  seemed  to  beam  a  fare- 
well and  a  conscious  triumph  of  faith,  he  sank  into 
the  embrace  of  death.  The  smile  seemed  to  linger 
on  the  countenance  when  the  spirit  had  gone,  and 
gave  it  the  appearance  of  peaceful  slumber." 

Another  writer,  over  the  initials  of  "  G.  A.  T.,"  in 
the  same  number  of  the  "  Register,"  thus  speaks  of 
this  talented  and  excellent  young  minister :  — 

"  As  a  preacher,  his  talents  were  of  the  highest 
order ;  and,  had  his  life  been  spared,  he  would  have 
stood  among  the  first  in  the  denomination  of  which 
he  was  a  member.  Possessed  of  a  clear  and  vigorous 
mind,  of  great  intellectual  activity,  of  an  easy  flow  of 
language,  and  a  striking  and  forcible  style  of  delivery, 
he  attracted  many  around  his  pulpit  who  had  seldom 
been  accustomed  to  attend  church ;  and,  while  there, 
held  them  in  fixed  attention,  by  preaching  the  great 
truths  of  religion  with  eloquence  and  power,  and 
with  a  simplicity  and  clearness  adapted  to  the  taste 
of  the  most  cultivated  and  the  understanding  of  all. 
His  people  flourished  under  his  ministry,  and  he 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his  labors  crowned  with 
success.  .  .  . 


350  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

"  Deeply  imbued  with  Christian  principles,  he  was 
not  satisfied  with  preaching  them  from  the  pulpit,  but 
endeavored  to  show  them  in  his  daily  walk  and  con- 
versation. Of  strong  religious  views,  he  was  practical 
and  earnest,  without  a  particle  of  hypocrisy ;  zealous 
in  the  faith,  he  was  yet  without  bigotry,  but  embraced 
the  whole  brotherhood  of  man  in  the  bonds  of  Chris- 
tian fellowship.  Ever  ready  to  yield  to  the  wishes, 
and  to  listen  to  the  advice,  of  others,  as  far  as  was 
compatible  with  right,  he  sternly  refused  to  be 
tempted  from  the  path  of  duty  by  the  calls  of  ex- 
pediency or  ease.  In  the  closing  hours  of  his  life, 
as  throughout  his  whole  existence,  he  was  cheered 
by  the  hopes  of  immortality.  With  his  expiring 
breath,  he  expressed  his  earnest  conviction  that  those 
hopes  were  not  in  vain ;  while  his  last  words  signi- 
fied that  his  faith  grew  stronger  and  brighter  as  it 
approached  a  glad  fruition." 

Mr.  Heard  was  born  in  Wayland,  March  16,  1830. 
He  married  in  Providence,  R.I.,  Oct.  19,  1858,  Ellen 
Balch,  daughter  of  Joseph  Balch,  Esq.,  of  that  city, 
who  survived  her  husband  but  about  eighteen  months. 
Mrs.  Heard  died  in  Sandwich,  JS.H.,  Oct.  6,  1865, 
aged  thirty-five  years,  leaving  one  orphan  child. 

"  Beloved  by  all,  and  doing  good  to  all ;  exerting  a 
strong  power  over  youthful  and  often  mature  minds, 
partly  by  her  quick  perceptions,  and  still  more  by 
her  sympathetic  nature,  —  she  proved,  beyond  the 
ordinary  measure,  an  efficient  co-worker  in  a  minis- 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  351 

try  whose  arduousness  few  understand,  whose  honor 
and  usefulness  a  true  woman  may  largely  promote. 
At  the  very  height  of  happy  opportunity  and  diligent 
well-doing,  she  was  bereft  of  the  right  hand  of  her 
power  by  the  painful  illness  and  death  of  her  hus- 
band, leading  to  a  total  change  of  relations  and 
prospects.  Returning  to  her  early  home,  and  passing 
another  year  in  scenes  of  former  activity  and  useful- 
ness,  which  she  could  not  at  once  resume,  she  was 
just  gathering  up  her  strength  to  the  renewal  of  ser- 
vices, so  highly  prized  by  us,  in  the  Sunday  school, 
and  other  walks  of  duty,  when  she  was  arrested  by 
the  messenger  whom  she  well  knew,  and  whom  she 
was  willing  to  follow.  Expressing,  in  her  first  sick- 
ness, the  belief  that  her  work  was  finished,  and 
committing  her  only  child  to  a  sister's  care,  she  tran- 
quilly departed."  (Dr.  Hall's  Funeral  Sermon,  in 
the  "  Christian  Register"  for  Nov.  25,  1865.) 

FiTCiiBi-RO,  Jan.  11,  18G7. 

DEAR  SIR,  —  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  a  recent 
date,  requesting  me  to  state  my  impression  of  the 
character  of  the  late  Rev.  Jared  M.  Heard,  derived 
from  an  intimate  personal  acquaintance  during  the 
last  year  of  his  life,  I  send  the  following  hasty 
sketch. 

The  remarkable  success  which  Mr.  Heard  achieved 
during  his  ministry  among  us  was  due  to  no  single 
quality  of  mind  or  heart,  but  rather  to  the  perfection 


352  WORCESTER   ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

of  his  character,  and  the  various  range  of  his  ability. 
It  is  riot  alone  to  be  attributed  to  his  influence  as  a 
preacher,  to  his  untiring  zeal  in  every  good  work, 
to  his  watchful  care  for  his  people's  welfare,  nor  to 
the  excellence  of  his  life  and  conversation.  He 
won  the  hearts  of  all  who  knew  him,  because,  in 
every  duty  of  life,  he  faithfully  employed  the  talents 
with  which  he  was  so  liberally  endowed.  Not  satis- 
fied to  atone  for  an  opportunity  neglected  to-day  by 
an  excess  of  zeal  to-morrow,  he  earnestly  endeavored 
to  do  all  things  well. 

He  had  already  taken  a  high  rank  as  a  writer, 
and,  had  his  life  been  spared,  would  have  become 
one  of  the  most  prominent  preachers  in  the  denomi- 
nation. His  sermons  were  marked  by  clearness  of 
thought  and  force  of  expression.  He  thoroughly  mas- 
tered his  subject,  and  illustrated  it  by  a  style  forcible 
rather  than  elegant,  but  vivid  and  pure,  adapted 
alike  to  the  taste  of  the  critical  and  the  compre- 
hension of  the  unlearned.  In  interpreting  the  Scrip- 
tures, he  was  peculiarly  efficient ;  applying  to  the 
study  and  exposition  of  the  sacred  text  the  sagacity 
and  practical  wisdom  which  pervaded  all  his  actions. 
His  delivery  was  earnest  and  effective.  Every  sen- 
tence conveyed  an  idea ;  there  was  nothing  super- 
fluous, nothing  added  solely  for  ornament;  every 
word  composed  a  part  of  the  edifice  of  thought, 
without  which  the  structure  would  have  been  im- 
perfect. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  353 

No  preacher,  not  even  the  most  acceptable  writers 
and  speakers  in  the  denomination,  hold  the  attention 
of  an  audience  more  closely  than  he  did.  Though 
he  seldom  exchanged,  there  was  no  one  to  whom 
the  people  more  gladly  listened.  His  familiar  face 
was  anxiously  looked  for ;  and,  when  he  was  present, 
the  attendance  upon  the  afternoon  service,  the  prac- 
tical test  of  a  preacher's  popularity,  bore  witness  to 
the  high  estimation  in  which  he  was  held.  As  an 
extemporaneous  speaker,  he  was  fluent  and  persua- 
sive. He  spoke  with  the  clearness  and  force  with 
which  he  wrote. 

But  his  success  as  a  pastor  was  owing,  in  a  great 
measure,  to  his  personal  character.  Of  great  decision 
and  firmness  ;  with  a  perseverance  which  overcame 
every  obstacle ;  a  mind  ever  anxious  in  its  search 
after  truth,  and  courage  to  proclaim  it  when  found,  — 
during  his  short  ministry,  he  performed  the  work  of 
years.  Having  unbounded  charity  for  others'  fail- 
ings, he  seemed  to  have  none  for  his  own,  and  never 
considered  his  duty  done  as  long  as  any  thing  re- 
mained to  be  accomplished.  His  mind  was  constantly 
in  a  state  of  restless  activity,  which  far  outran  his 
bodily  strength.  He  was  ever  learning,  ever  study- 
ing God  and  his  works. 

An  enthusiastic  lover  of  nature,  he  passed  much 
time  out  of  doors.  The  trees  and  flowers,  with  their 
ever-changing  beauty,  spoke  to  him  of  the  goodness 
of  God ;  and  the  wonderful  structure  and  various 


354  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW.) 

motions  of  the  minutest  insect  shadowed  forth  the 
glory  of  its  Creator.  The  very  sunlight  was  a 
source  of  pleasure  to  him.  I  have  often  seen  him, 
exhausted  by  excessive  toil,  cast  himself  down  in 
the  full  glare  of  the  midday  sun,  and  seem  to 
derive  renewed  life  and  strength  from  his  glad- 
some rays.  So  ardent  a  lover  of  nature,  he  abhorred 
every  thing  unnatural  or  assumed  in  behavior  and 
conversation.  He  despised  affectation.  Unassuming 
himself,  shining  forth  his  character  in  its  true  light, 
he  expected  the  same  in  others.  He  did  nothing 
for  effect,  nothing  to  be  seen  of  men.  Hence  he 
inspired  a  confidence  that  was  never  weakened,  and 
a  trust  which  he  never  betrayed. 

Nor  did  he  study  God  only  in  his  inanimate  crea- 
tion, but  also  in  the  nature  of  man.  Few  understood 
human  nature  better.  Few  could  be  less  easily  de- 
ceived by  outside  professions,  or  more  readily  looked 
beneath  them,  and  searched  the  heart. 

Thus  acquiring  knowledge  from  every  source,  he 
was  an  exceedingly  agreeable  companion.  His  con- 
versation was  original  and  striking,  humorous  or 
grave,  as  occasion  required;  always  entertaining  and 
instructive,  and  always  sincere. 

His  Christian  charities  were  unfailing.  Almost  an 
invalid,  his  own  sufferings  never  detained  him  from 
the  bedside  of  the  sick,  where  he  ministered  alike 
to  the  weary  body  and  the  troubled  soul.  He  soon 
won  the  warmest  regard  of  his  people,  and  held 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  355 

it  without  interruption  to  the  last.  Nor  was  the 
circle  of  his  friends  confined  to  the  society  to  whom 
he  ministered.  As  a  citizen,  as  a  friend  of  the 
needy  and  erring,  as  a  leader  in  every  good  work, 
he  was  always  active.  Though  he  lived  with  us  but 
a  single  year,  he  had  gained  the  affection  and  esteem 
of  all  who  knew  him ;  and  it  can  be  safely  said,  that, 
at  the  time  of  his  decease,  there  was  no  one  in  this 
vicinity  whose  loss  would  have  been  more  deeply 
or  widely  felt.  As  the  tidings  of  his  sudden  death 
rapidly  spread  throughout  the  town,  hardly  a  tongue 
repeated  them  without  a  tremor,  or  a  listener  heard 
them  without  a  tear. 

To  the  stranger,  this  brief  sketch  may  seem  rather 
a  panegyric  than  a  portraiture ;  but,  to  those  who 
knew  and  loved  him,  it  will  appear  but  an  imperfect 
likeness  of  him  they  held  so  dear. 
Very  respectfully  yours, 

GEO.  A.  TORREY. 
Rev.  Dr.  JOSEPH  ALLEN. 

WARREN  BURTON. 

Mr.  Burton  became  a  member  of  the  Worcester 
Association  May  1(5,  1849,  while  a  minister  at  large 
in  Worcester,  and  was  connected  with  it  till  his  re- 
moval to  Salem  in  the  following  year. 

He  was  born  in  Wilton,  N.H.,  Nov.  23,  1800,  and 
was  the  son  of  Jonathan  and  1'crsis  (Warren)  Burton. 


356  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  entered  Harvard  College, 
taking  his  first  degree  in  1821 ;  being  a  classmate  of 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  Ex-Governor  Kent,  Josiah 
Quincy,  and  others  more  or  less  distinguished. 

Having  pursued  a  course  of  theological  studies,  he 
entered  the  ministry,  and  was  ordained  over  the 
Unitarian  society  in  East  Cambridge,  March,  1826. 
After  leaving  that  place,  he  had,  for  limited  periods,  . 
the  charge  of  several  religious  societies,  positively 
declining  the  fixedness  implied  by  the  ceremony  of 
installation.  Among  the  number  may  be  mentioned 
that  in  South  Hingham,  where  he  remained  two 
years ;  and  that  in  Waltham,  where  he  was  greatly 
esteemed  as  an  earnest  and  devoted  minister,  and 
where  he  sustained  an  irreparable  loss,  in  the  death 
of  a  beloved  wife,  —  a  blow  which,  for  the  time, 
quite  unmanned  him,  and  from  which,  it  is  believed, 
he  never  fully  recovered.  She  had  been  his  cher- 
ished companion  and  friend  from  their  earliest  days, 
his  schoolmate,  and  first  love ;  and  her  early  death, 
Oct.  11,  1836,  almost  broke  his  heart.  Sarah  Flint 
(for  that  was  her  maiden  name)  was  married  to  Mr. 
Burton  Sept.  18,  1828,  and  had  therefore  lived  with 
her  husband  a  little  more  than  eight  years.  Their 
only  daughter,  Sarah  Warren,  a, most  estimable  young 
lady,  died  in  Cambridge,  Aug.  17,  1858,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three.  They  had  also  one  son,  Arthur 
William,  who  died  in  Wilton,  March  26,  1831,  just 
one  year  old  to  a  day. 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  357 

Mr.  Burton  was  married  to  his  second  wife,  Mary 
Meritt,  of  Salem,  Sept.  18,  1845,  who,  in  the  long 
years  of  weakness  and  weariness  he  was  called  to 
pass  through,  was  permitted  to  watch  by  his  side  and 
minister  to  his  wants.  He  died  June  6,  1866. 

"  His  disease,  supposed  to  be  cancer,"  writes  Rev. 
Mr.  Willson,  of  Salem,  "  left  his  mind  clear  and 
active.  His  whole  soul  was  kindled  with  religious 
fervor.  He  became,  in  the  latest  years  of  his  life,  a 
most  earnest  student  and  apostle  of  the  *  New  Church' 
doctrines,  which,  however,  he  held  in  no  narrow 
spirit ;  for  he  found  them  kindred  with  much  of  the 
best  thought  and  deepest  faith  of  other  churches.  It 
was  good  to  see  and  hear  him.  Though  prostrate 
upon  his  bed,  and  with  little  change  of  position,  he 
welcomed  the  entrance  of  any  visitor  willing  to  con- 
verse with  him  of  the  things  of  the  spirit  and  of  his 
true  life.  His  cordial  hand  and  voice  and  speaking 
eye  all  said,  '  Glad  to  see  you;''  and  immediately  he 
plunged  into  rapid  question  and  talk,  his  face  glow- 
ing, his  manner  eager,  as  if  afraid  the  minutes  of  the 
interview  would  have  flown  before  he  could  say  what 
his  soul  was  burning  to  utter. 

"  I  used  to  see  him  as  often  as  I  could  consist- 
ently with  other  engagements, — once  in  two  or  throe 
weeks,  perhaps,  —  and  always  found  it  difficult  to 
come  away,  and  always  good  to  have  been  there. 
He  stirred  me  by  his  zeal.  Agreeing  or  disagreeing 
with  him  in  his  peculiar  views,  there  was  only  benefit 


358  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

and  help  from  coming  in  contact  with  a  spirit  so 
enthusiastic  in  its  faith,  and  so  thoroughly  alive  to 
the  reality  of  spiritual  things.  I  was  absent  when 
he  died,  and  had  not  seen  him  for  two  weeks  before  ; 
but  I  understand  that  he  continued  in  the  same  frame 
to  the  end.  He  was  buried  in  Wilton,  N.H.,  where 
a  marble  stone  marks  the  place  of  his  rest." 

To  these  remarks  of  Mr.  Willson,  I  may  add,  from 
my  own  personal  acquaintance  with  the  subject  of 
this  notice,  that,  with  feeble  health  and  very  limited 
means,  he  devoted  himself  with  singleness  of  aim  to 
the  cause  of  popular  education,  especially  to  domestic 
education  or  home  culture,  which  he  justly  regarded 
as  of  paramount  importance  as  the  foundation  of  the 
future  character.  His  views  on  this  subject,  as  illus- 
trated and  enforced  in  lectures  and  addresses  deliv- 
ered in  many  places,  a  summary  of  which  is  contained 
in  the  volume  he  published  with  the  title,  "  Helps 
to  Education,"  are  exceedingly  valuable,  and  must 
approve  themselves  to  the  judgment  of  all  consid- 
erate persons.  In  many  of  our  churches  and  public 
halls,  he  has  spoken  on  his  favorite  theme  with  that 
true  eloquence,  which,  while  it  convinces  the  under- 
standing, goes  directly  to  the  heart.  On  one  occasion, 
he  gave  a  course  of  three  lectures  in  Northborough, 
in  the  Town  Hall.  The  hall  was  completely  filled  on 
each  successive  evening ;  and'  then  he  was  invited  to 
deliver  a  fourth  in  the  church,  which  also  attracted 
a  large  and  delighted  audience.  He  seemed  to  care 


WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW).  359 

very  little  for  pecuniary  compensation ;  asking  only 
for  the  means  and  opportunities  of  usefulness  in  the 
field  he  had  chosen,  and  for  which  he  was  so  admi- 
rably fitted.  He  literally  "  went  about  doing  good ;  " 
and  it  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  the  amount  of 
substantial,  permanent  good  which  he  wrought  by  his 
wise  and  well-directed  labors  in  this  cause. 

In  a  letter  written  in  1860,  he  writes :  "  I  have 
lived  without  a  permanent  parish  settlement  for  many 
years,  because  I  preferred  this  independent  mode  of 
life.  I  entered  on  '  the  Ministry  at  Large,'  as  it  were 
led  by  Providence.  In  this  department  of  labor,  and 
in  behalf  of  'home  education,'  I  feel,  that,  for  ten 
years,  I  have  been  under  providential  guidance.  In 
this  I  am  continuing."  And  so  he  labored  on  with 
unabated  zeal,  till  strength  failed,  and  he  was  com- 
pelled to  retire  from  the  field,  and  to  rest  from  his 
labors. 

"  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto 
me,  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord;  for 
they  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow 
them." 

Besides  the  volume  mentioned  above,  —  "  Helps 
to  Education,"  —  Mr.  Burton  published,  many  years 
since,  a  charming  little  volume,  full  of  wit  and  wis- 
dom, entitled  "  The  District  School  as  It  Was,"  which 
was  followed  by  another  with  the  somewhat  enigmat- 
ical title  of  "  The  Scenery  Show-er,"  containing 
valuable  lessons  for  the  young,  leading  them  to  ob- 


360  WORCESTER    ASSOCIATION    (NEW). 

serve  the  beautiful  and  wonderful  objects  which 
nature  presents  to  the  view.  He  was  also  the 
author  of  a  work  entitled,  il  Cheering  Views  of  Man 
and  Providence."  Boston  :  1832.  l£mo. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


THE  names  of  the  present  active  members  of  the  Association 
are  printed  in  italics.  Names  of  deceased  members  (of  whom 
biographical  sketches  will  be  found  in  the  preceding  pages)  are 
marked  thus,  t. 

Admitted, 
tlra  Henry  Thos.  Blanchard,  Harvard,  H.C.  1817     .    .    May  21,  1823. 

Calvin  Lincoln,  Fitchburg;  H.C.  1820 July  20,  1824. 

Almzo  Bill,  D.D.,  Worcester;  H.C.  1822 April  18,  1827. 

Robert  Folger  Walcutt,  Berlin ;  H.C.  1817 April  21,  1830. 

Washington  Gilbert,  Harvard;  W.C.  1826 April  17,  1833. 

tRufus  A.  Johnson,  Grafton;  Div.  Sch.  Cam.  1832  .    .   April  17, 1834. 

Samuel  May,  Leicester;  H.C.  1829     • Aug.    14,  1834. 

David  Lamson,  Berlin ;  not  a  graduate May    20,1835. 

Rufus  P.  Stebbins,  Leominster;  Amherst  Col.  1834      .    Oct.    25,  1837. 

Cazneau  Palfrey,  Grafton;  H.C.  1826 June  20,1838. 

William  H.  Lord,  Southborough;  D.C Nov.    20,1838. 

William  Morse,  Marlborough ;  not  a  graduate ....  Nov.  20,  1839. 
David  Fosdick,  Sterling;  Amherst  College,  1831  .  .  April  20,  1841. 
Edmund  H.  Sears,  Lancaster;  Union  Col.  1834  .  .  .  May  19,1841. 

William  Barry,  Framingham;  B.U.  1822 Aug.  30,1842. 

Richard  Sullivan  Edes,  Bolton ;  B.U.  1830 1843. 

Edmund  Burke  Willson,  Grafton;  a  student  of  Yale 

College,  but  not  a  graduate April  18,1844. 

Horatio  Alger,  Marlborough;  H.C.  1825 April  23,  1845. 

t  Hiram  Withington,  Leominster;  Cam.  D.S.  1843  .  .  Sept.  16,  1845. 
Edward  Everett  Hale,  Worcester;  H.C.  1839  ....  May  20,  1846. 
Thomas  Prentiss  Allen,  Sterling;  H.C.  1842  ....  Dec.  16,1846. 
William  G.  Babcock,  Lunenburg;  H.C.  1841  ....  June  15,  1847. 

G  tor  ye  M.  Bart»l,  Lancaster;  B.U.  1842 Nov.   17,  1847. 

William  C.  Tenney,  Upton;  II. C.  1838 April  18,  1848. 


364  APPENDIX. 

Admitted. 

Amos  Smith,  Leotninster ;  B.C.  1821 May  16,  1849. 

John  J.  Putnam,  Bolton;  not  a  graduate Sept.  19,  1849. 

George  S.  Ball,  Upton;  Meadville,  1847 Aug.  21, 1850. 

Horatio  Stebbins,  Fitchburg;  B.C.  1848 Nov.  19,  1851. 

Thomas  T.  Stone,  Bolton;  B.C.  1820 Jan.    19,  1853. 

Leonard  J.  Livermore,  Clinton;  B.C.  1842 Jan.   19,1853. 

Thomas  W.  Brown,  Grafton;  Cam.  D.S.  1852  .  .  .  April  17,  1855. 
William  P.  Tilden,  Fitchburg;  not  a  graduate.  .  .  .  Sept.  26,  1855. 

James  Thurston,  Lunenburg;  B.C.  1829 May     5, 1856. 

Trowbridge  B.  Forbush,  Northborough ;  Meadville,  1856  Feb.  11, 1857. 
William  Henry  Knapp,  Sterling;  not  a  graduate  .  .  .  May  5,  1857. 

t William  Gushing,  Clinton;  H.C.  1832 Nov.    5,' 1857. 

t William  Augustus  Whitwell,  Barvard;  B.C.  1824  .  Aug.  12,  1857. 
George  G.  Withington,  Lancaster;  Meadville,  1854  .  .  April  21,  1858. 
Stephen  Barker,  Leominster;  Cam.  D.C.  1856  .  .  .  April  21,  1858. 
William  G.  Scandlin,  Grafton;  Meadville,  1854  .  .  .  Aug.  17,1858. 

Farrington  Mclntire,  Grafton;  B.C.  1843 Aug.  17,1858. 

Bush  R.  Shippen,  Worcester;  Meadville,  1849.     .    .    .    Jan.    19,1859. 

Jared  M.  Beard,  Clinton;  B.U.  1853 April  20, 1859. 

E.  B.  Fairchild,  Meadville,  1859 1860. 

C.  B.  Josselyn,  Meadville,  1858 1860. 

Eli  Fay,  Leominster 1860. 

Gilbert  Cummings,  Meadville,  1859 1860. 

Nathaniel  0.  Chaffee,  Bolton 1861. 

Benry  B.  Barber,  Barvard 1862. 

Edwin  L.  Brown,  Bolton 1363. 

J.  H.  Allen,  Northborough 1863. 

S.  W.  McDaniel,  Budson 1862. 

A.  S.  Nlckerson,  Sterling 1864. 

John  B.  Green,  Leominster 1864. 

James  Salloway,  Clinton 1865. 

Rushton  D.  Burr,  Uxbridge 1866. 

H.  C.  Dugan,  Budson 1865. 

Eugene  DeNormandie,  Marlborough 1866. 

George  N.  Richardson,  Westborough 1865. 

Henry  L.  Myrick,  Northborough 1866. 

Jefferson  M.  Fox,  Barvard 1867. 

Henry  F.  Jencks,  Fitchburg 1867. 


APPENDIX.  365 


THE    LIVING    MEMBERS    OF  THE  WORCES- 
TER ASSOCIATION. 


I. 

JOSEPH  ALLEN,  D.D.,  the  only  one  surviving  of  the 
original  members  of  the  Worcester  Association  formed 
in  1820,  is  a  native  of  Medfield,  born  Aug.  15,  1790, 
son  of  Deacon  Phineas  and  Ruth  (Smith)  Allen.  Having 
commenced  the  study  of  Latin  at  the  district  school  of  his 
native  town,  he  continued  his  preparatory  studies  for  one 
year  with  Rev.  Dr.  Prentiss,  the  worthy  minister  of  Med- 
field, and  entered  Harvard  College  in  1807,  graduating 
with  the  class  of  1811. 

After  leaving  college,  he  remained  in  Cambridge  as  a 
student  in  theology  (under  the,  direction  of  Rev.  Dr.  Ware. 
Hollis  Professor  of  Divinity),  in  company  with  several 
classmates,  and  others  who  were  preparing  for  the  ministry, 
Having  received  approbation  from  the  Boston  Association 
in  the  autumn  of  1814,  he  preached  his  first  sermon  for 
Rev.  John  White,  of  West  Dedham,  in  October  of  that 
year. 

In  consequence  of  protracted  illness,  he  was  prevented 
from  fulfilling  an  engagement  to  supply  the  pulpit  at 
Weston,  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Rev.  Dr.  Kendall. 
In  the  spring  of  1815,  his  health  being  partially  restored, 


366  APPENDIX. 

he  preached  several  Sundays  for  his  friend,  Eev.  John  E. 
Abbot,  in  the  New  North  Church,  Salem,  before  his  ordi- 
nation, and  subsequently,  for  a  few  Sundays  each,  for  the 
Third  Congregational  Church  in  Dorchester,  the  Second 
Church  in  Boston,  Dr.  Bancroft's  church  in  Worcester, 
the  First  Congregational  Church  in  Sherborn,  the  First 
Congregational  Church  in  Lexington ;  spending  the  most 
of  the  winter  of  1815-16  in  West  Boylston.  After  ful- 
filling an  engagement  to  preach  in  Topsfield  eight  weeks 
in  May  and  June,  he  came  to  Northborough  the  1st  of 
July,  which  from  that  time  has  been  his  home.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  there  July  7,  and  was  ordained 
as  minister  of  the  town,  Oct.  30,  1816.  After  a  ministry 
of  forty  years,  at  his  request  the  First  Parish  settled  a 
colleague,  Rev.  T.  B.  Forbush,  Jan.  1,  1857;  the  senior 
pastor  having  relinquished  the  care  of  the  pulpit,  and  the 
responsibilities  as  well  as  the  emoluments  of  the  office. 
Mr.  Forbush  having  resigned  his  office  July,  1863,  a  second 
colleague,  Rev.  Henry  L.  My  rick,  was  installed  as  junior 
pastor  in  June,  1866. 

Mr.  Allen  was  married,  Feb.  3,  1818,  to  Lucy  Clarke 
Ware,  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.  Professor  Ware,  D.D.,  of 
Cambridge,  and  of  Mary  (Clarke)  Ware,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Jonas  Clarke,  of  Lexington. 
Their  children  are,  — 

1.  Mary  Ware ;  married  Dr.  J.  J.  Johnson. 

2.  Joseph  Henry;  H.C.  1840. 

3.  Thomas  Prentiss;  H.C.  1842. 

4.  Elizabeth  Waterhouse. 

5.  Lucy  Clarke ;  married  Albert  E.  Powers,  of  Lan- 
singburg,  N.Y. 

6.  Edward  Augustus  Holyoke. 

7.  William  Francis,  H.C.  1851. 

During  most  of  the  time  since  his  graduation  in  1811, 


APPENDIX.  367 

he  has  had  the  charge  of  pupils,  some  of  whom  he  fitted 
for  college,  and  a  few  for  the  ministry,  in  whole  or  in  part. 
Seven  months  in  1813  he  passed  in  the  family  of  the  elder 
Theodore  Lyman,  Esq.,  of  Waltham,  as  teacher  of  his 
younger  children.  While  his  sons  were  fitting  for  college, 
and  while  students  at  Cambridge,  to  meet  his  increasing 
expenses,  he  kept  a  home  school  for  boys,  employing 
an  assistant.  At  other  times,  he  had  charge,  for  limited 
periods,  of  young  men  from  college,  who  were  received 
into  his  family,  and  whose  studies  he  conducted.  Several 
theological  students,  and  several  members  of  the  medical 
profession,  pursued  a  course  of  classical  studies  under  his 
tuition. 

Mr.  Allen  received  from  his  Alma  Mater,  in  1848,  the 
honorary  degree  of  D.D. ;  and,  in  the  following  year,  he 
went  as  a  delegate  to  the  Peace  Congress  in  Paris,  availing 
himself  of  the  opportunity  to  visit  places  of  interest  in 
England  and  on  the  Continent.  On  his  return,  he  gave, 
by  invitation,  an  account  of  the  reception  of  the  delegates 
in  Paris,  and  of  the  deliberations  of  the  Congress,  both  at 
home  and  in  several  other  towns  in  Worcester  county. 

Since  retiring  from  the  active  duties  of  the  ministry,  he 
has  found  pleasant  employment  in  his  study,  his  garden, 
and  his  orchard,  in  superintending  the  schools,  and  in 
visiting  his  people  and  friends.  He  trusts  it  has  not  been 
an  abuse  of  his  leisure,  that  he  has  spent  many  happy 
hours  in  preparing  for  the  press  these  sketches  and  memoirs 
of  the  living  and  the  departed. 

Publications. 

1.  A  Funeral  Discourse  on  the  Death  of  \Vinslow  Brigham,  jun., 

December,  1818. 

2.  A  New  Year's  Sermon,  delivered  in  Shrewsbury,  at  a  Meet- 

ing of  the  Worcester  Association,  1822. 


368  APPENDIX. 

3.  An  Historical  Discourse,  delivered  on  Thanksgiving  Day, 

1825  ;  which,  by  request  of  his  parishioners,  was  enlarged, 
and  published  in  the  "  Worcester  Magazine,"  and  in 
pamphlet  form,  under  the  title  of  "  An  Historical  Ac- 
count of  Korthborough,"  July,  1826. 

4.  A  Fast  Sermon,  "  Sources  of  Public  Prosperity,"  1829. 

5.  A   Sermon   on   Family  Religion,   in  "  Liberal   Preacher," 

1831. 

6.  In  1832,  he  compiled  the  first  volume  of  the  "Christian 

Monitor,"  containing  his  Sermon  before  the  Society  for 
Promoting  Knowledge,  Piety,  and  Charity ;  and  Eemarks 
on  the  Lord's  Supper. 

7.  An  Address  to  the  Parish  at  the  Ordination  of  Eev.  Rob- 

ert F.  Walcott,  Berlin,  1830. 

8.  A  Minister's  Account  of  his    Stewardship :   a  Sermon  on 

completing  the  Twenty -fifth  Year  of  his  Ministry, 
1841. 

9.  An    Address  at  the   Ordination  of  Rev.  H.  Withington, 

Leominster,  1844. 

10.  A  Centennial  Discourse  on  Completing  a  Century  from  the 

Organization  of  the  Church,  1846. 

11.  A  New  Year's  Sermon,  in  "Monthly  Religious  Magazine," 

1855. 

12.  An  Address  before  the  Worcester  Sunday-school   Society, 

Lancaster,  1854. 

13.  A  Catechism,  prepared  at  ths  Request  of  the  Worcester 

Association,  1822. 

14.  Easy  Lessons  in   Geography  and  History,  for  Schools,  of 

which  several  editions  were  published,  the  first  in  1825. 

15.  A  Memoir  of  Rev.  Dr.  Lathrop,  of  Springfield,  1823. 

16.  Questions  on  the  Gospels,  in  Two  Parts,  and  Questions  on 

the  Acts,  prepared  in  the  leisure  hours  of  three  successive 
winters ;  of  which  many  editions  have  been  called  for,  the 
first  being  published  in  1829. 

17.  Part  I.  of  a  Series  of  Questions  on  the  Old  Testament  was 

published  in  1837,  under  the  title  of  "  Questions  on  the 
Pentateuch;"  but,  as  the  work  was  not  called  for,  he 
abandoned  the  project. 


<v?  A^ts-i^i^-'  ^^  f^t^t^ 


APPENDIX.  369 

18.  An  Address  at  the  Centennial  Celebration  of  the  Incorpo- 
ration of  Northborough,  Aug.'  22,  1866,  and  a  Half- 
century  Sermon  on  the  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  his 
Settlement  in  Northborough,  Oct.  30,  1866,  were  also 
printed. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  "  Christian  Disciple "  (now 
"  Christian  Examiner  ")  and  the  "  Christian  Register,"  he 
was  a  frequent  contributor  to  those  periodicals. 

II. 

I  should  like  to  speak  as  freely  and  as  eulogistically  of 
our  brother  LINCOLN,  as  I  have  felt  at  liberty,  or  rather 
have  been  constrained,  to  do  of  some  of  our  departed 
brethren.  But  propriety  forbids.  He  is  still  with  us ; 
still  in  active  service,  in  the  midst  of  useful  labors,  occu- 
pying an  important  post,  —  where  we  hope  he  may  be 
permitted  to  remain  yet  many  years,  ere  any  one  is  called 
to  pronounce  his  eulogy. 

CALVIN  LINCOLN,  son  of  Calvin  and  Linda  (Loring) 
Lincoln,  was  born  in  Hiugham,  Oct.  27,  1799.  From 
ten  to  sixteen,  he  studied  under  the  care  of  Rev.  Daniel 
Kimball,  then  the  Preceptor  of  the  Derby  Academy, 
Hingham,  who  afterwards  removed  to  Needham,  where  he 
recently  died  at  an  advanced  age,  respected  and  honored. 
He  maintained  a  highly  respectable  rank,  and  an  unsullied 
character,  during  his  college  life  at  Cambridge  ;  graduating 
with  the  class  of  1820,  of  which  Drs.  Gannett,  Hall,  Fur- 
ness,  and  Young  were  members.  After  leaving  college, 
he  entered  at  once  the  Divinity  School,  then  just  organized 
under  the  care  of  the  elder  Dr.  Henry  Ware  and  Andrews 
Norton.  In  the  summer  of  1823,  he  was  licensed  to 
preach  by  the  Boston  Association  of  Ministers ;  and,  June 
30,  1824,  he  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  First  Congrcga- 

24 


370  APPENDIX. 

tional  Society  in  Fitchburg,  Mass.  He  was  married,  Oct. 
10,  1826,  to  Elizabeth  Andrews,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Catherine  Andrews,  of  Hingham.  Mrs.  Lincoln  was  "  a 
faithful  wife,  a  devoted  mother,  and  a  good  woman."  Their 
children  were  Calvin  Lincoln,  jun.,  a  merchant  doing 
business  in  Boston,  but  living  with  his  father  on  the  old 
homestead ;  and  Elizabeth,  married  to  Henry  Harding, 
Esq.,  of  Hingham.  Mrs.  Harding  died  October,  18G4, 
while  on  a  visit  to  her  friends  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  deeply 
lamented  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

''  After  a  ministry  of  more  than  twenty  years,"  he 
writes,  "  my  health,  which  had  never  been  firm,  very  sen- 
sibly declined;  and  in  June,  1850,  having  been  chosen 
Secretary  of  the  American  Unitarian  Association,  with  the 
consent  of  my  people  I  left  Fitchburg,  removed  my  family 
to  Hingham,  to  the  house  in  which  my  father  and  I  were 
born,  and  commenced  my  labors  as  Secretary  of  the  Amer- 
ican Unitarian  Association.  This  office  I  resigned  at  the 
meeting  in  May,  1853.  The  same  spring,  I  was  invited 
to  take  charge  of  the  Bulfinch-street  Society,  Boston,  for 
one  year,  during  the  absence  of  its  pastor,  Rev.  Frederic 
T.  Gray,  at  San  Francisco.  Before  the  close  of  my  labors 
in  Boston,  I  was  invited  to  preach  to  the  First  Parish  in 
Hingham;  and  in  May,  1854,  I  left  Boston  for  this  place, 
and,  the  following  spring,  was  installed  associate  pastor 
(with  Rev.  Joseph  Richardson)  of  the  above-named  parish. 
My  ecclesiastical  relation  to  the  society  at  Fitchburg  was 
not  dissolved  until  the  time  of  my  installation  at  Hing- 
ham." 

I  would  add  to  the  above  account  which  our  brother 
gives  of  himself,  that  his  ministry  at  Fitchburg  was  a 
very  successful  one ;  that  he  was  highly  esteemed  and 
loved  by  his  parishioners,  and  held  in  honor  by  his  fellow- 
citizens  of  all  parties  and  sects ;  and,  further,  that  the 


APPENDIX.  371 

Worcester  Association,  with  which  he  was  connected,  highly 
appreciated  his  services, -and  regarded  him  with  peculiar 
affection.  Sero  in  coelum  redeat ! 


III. 

Next  in  order  of  time  who  joined  the  Worcester  Asso- 
ciation was  Rev.  Dr.  HILL,  the  colleague  and  successor  of 
Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft,  of  the  Second  Congregational  Church 
in  Worcester.  His  connection  with  the  Association  has, 
moreover,  lasted  longer,  with  a  single  exception,  than  that 
of  any  other  member ;  having  extended  from  April  18, 
1827,  to  the  present  time.  And  it  is  but  simple  justice  to 
say,  that  to  no  one  is  the  Association  more  indebted  for 
the  respectable  position  it  occupies  than  to  him. 

Alonzo  Hill,  son  of  Oliver  and  Mary  (Goldsmith)  Hill, 
was  born  in  Harvard,  June  20,  1800.  He  was,  for  a  time, 
a  student  at  Groton  Academy,  now  Lawrence  Academy, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  preparatory  to  his  entering 
Harvard  College.  He  graduated  with  the  class  of  1822, 
and  at  once  was  appointed  Assistant  Preceptor  of  Leicester 
Academy,  in  which  office  he  remained  two  years.  In  1824, 
he  entered  the  Divinity  School,  Cambridge,  where  he 
remained  two  years,  having  entered  a  year  in  advance, 
graduating  with  the  class  of  1826.  Having  been  licensed 
to  preach,  he  was  soon  invited  to  become  the  associate 
pastor  with  the  venerable  and  excellent  Dr.  Bancroft,  and 
was  ordained  March  28,  1827.  He  was  married,  Dec.  21). 
1830,  to  Frances  Mary  Clarke,  daughter  of  Hugh  Hamilton 
Clarke,  Esq.,  of  Boston.  Their  children  are  —  Hamil- 
ton Alonzo  Hill,  Esq.,  H.C.  1853,  who  lives  in  Boston  ; 
and  Frances  Ann,  living  with  her  parents. 

From  1851  to  1854,  Dr.  Hill  was  one  of  the  Overseers 
of  Harvard  College,  which  honored  him  with  the  degree 


372  APPENDIX. 

of  D.D.,  conferred  in  1851.  On  account  of  his  health, 
he  spent  the  winter  of  1837-8  in  Cuba,  W.  I. ;  and,  with 
the  consent  of  his  people,  he  made  the  tour  of  Europe,  in 
company  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  being  absent  eight 
months,  in  1856. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  Dr.  Hill's  publications :  — 

1.  A  Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  Josiah  Moore,  Athol, 

Dec.  8,  1830. 

2.  Sermon  in  the  "Liberal  Preacher,"  August,  1836. 

3.  Sermon  at  the  Interment  of  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft,  Aug.  22, 

1839. 

4.  Sermon  at  the  Interment  of  Rev.  Dr.  Thayer,  June  28, 

1840. 

5.  A  Review  of  Edes's  and  Sears's  Sermons  on  the  Death  of 

Rev.  Isaac  Allen,  in  "  Christian  Examiner,"  September, 
1844. 

6.  Article  on  the  Life  and  Works  of  Rev.  Jonathan  Farr,  in 

"  Christian  Examiner,"  November,  1845. 

7.  Sermon  preached  in  Boston,  May  27,  1847,  published  in 

"  Sermons  on  Christian  Communion." 

8.  Sermon  in  "Monthly  Miscellany"  for  October,  1848. 

9.  Article  on  the  Life  and  Character  of  Rev.  Hiram  Withing- 

ton,  in  "  Christian  Examiner,"  January,  1849. 

10.  Sermon  on  the  Death  of  General  Taylor,  July  31,  1850. 

11.  Sermon  preached  in  the  Ancient  Meeting-house  in  Hing- 

ham,  Sept.  8,  1850. 

12.  Sermon  preached  at  the  Dedication  of  the  New  Meeting- 

house in  Worcester,  March  26,  1851. 

13.  Sermon  preached  on  the  Twenty-fifth  Anniversary  of  his 

Ordination,  March  28,  1852. 

14.  Discourse  on  Occasion  of  the  Death  of  Hon.  John  W.  Lin- 

coln, Oct.  10,  1852. 

15.  Address  before  the  Worcester  New-England  Temperance 

Union,  at  Sterling,  April  13,  1853. 

16.  Sermon   on   the   Death   of  Hon.   John    Davis,   April    23, 

1854. 


APPENDIX.  373 

1 7.  Address  before  the  Alumni  of  Leicester  Academy,  Aug.  7, 

1855. 

18.  Address  before  the  Guardians  of  the  Orphans'  Home,  Feb. 

5,  1857. 

19.  Discourse  commemorative  of  the  Hon.  Thomas  Kinnicutt, 

Jan.  31,  1858. 

20.  Speech  before  the  American  Antiquarian  Society  on  Pres- 

cott  the  Historian,  Feb.  10,  1859. 

21.  Commemorative  Discourse  on  Rev.  Samuel  Clarke,  of  Ux- 

bridge,  Dec.  11,  1859. 

22.  Sermon  delivered  Sunday  after  the  Funeral  of  William 

Hudson,  Aug.  17,  1862. 

23.  In    Memoriam  :    a   Discourse   on    Lieutenant    Thomas    J. 

Spurr,  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  Oct. 
5,  1862. 

24.  A  Speech  on  the  Death  of  Hon.  Edward  Everett,  before 

the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  Jan.  17,  1865. 

25.  Before  the  Same.     On  the  Life  and  Services  of  George 

Livermore,  Esq.,  Oct.  21,  1865. 

26.  Address  at  the  Funeral  of  Mrs.  Lucy  C.  Allen,  Feb.  14, 

1866,  in  the  "  Monthly  Religious  Magazine,"  for  March, 
1866. 

27.  Speech  on  the  Life  and  Character  of  Jared  Sparks,  LL.D. 

28.  Pastor's   Record :    Sermon  at  the  Close   of  Forty  Years' 

Ministry,  March  28,  1867. 

29.  Semi-annual  Report  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society, 

April  24,  1867. 

Dr.  Hill  is  the  oldest  ordained  clergyman,  having  the 
sole  care  of  a  parish,  within  the  limits  of  Worcester 
County. 

The  fortieth  anniversary  of  his  ordination  was  observed 
with  appropriate  services  the  28th  of  March,  18P>7;  an 
account  of  which,  with  his  address,  has  been  printed  in  a 
handsome  pamphlet  of  sixty-six  pages,  containing  portraits 
of  himself  and  also  of  Rev.  Dr.  Bancroft. 


374  APPENDIX. 

IV. 

ROBERT  FOLGER  WALLCOT  was  a  member  of  the 
Worcester  Association  from  April  21,  1830,  till  the  1st 
of  January,  1834,  when,  at  his  request,  he  was  dismissed 
from  his  parochial  charge.  He  was  born  in  Nantucket, 
March  16,  1797,  and  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  1817. 
Having  pursued  his  theological  studies  at  Cambridge, 
he  was  settled  at  Berlin,  as  successor  of  Rev.  Reuben 
Puffer,  D.D.,  Feb.  10,  1830.  A  portion  of  the  society 
had  seceded,  and  formed  a  new  church  and  parish,  before 
his  ordination :  but  the  number  left  was  sufficient  to  form 
a  respectable  society ;  and,  during  the  first  two  years  of 
Mr.  Wallcot's  ministry,  his  labors  among,  and  in  behalf  of, 
his  people,  were  crowned  with  encouraging  success.  After 
the  secession,  the  number  of  communicants  was  very  small ; 
but  by  the  blessing  of  God  on  his  preaching,  and  his  labors 
out  of  the  pulpit,  a  goodly  number  of  men  and  women, 
from  among  the  leading  members  of  the  parish,  connected 
themselves  with  the  church  by  a  public  profession ;  and, 
for  a  time,  every  thing  looked  prosperous  and  encouraging. 
It  seemed  to  be  a  revival  of  pure  religion ;  and  we  were 
encouraged  to  hope,  that  a  ministry  so  auspiciously  begun 
would  last  for  many  years,  and  be  fruitful  in  spiritual  good. 
But  as  too  often  happens,  sometimes  without  any  apparent 
cause,  by  what  seems  to  be  a  law  of  the  human  mind,  the 
religious  interest  that  had  been  awakened,  gradually  and 
insensibly  declined,  on  the  part,  as  is  likely,  both  of  the 
minister  and  the  people ;  and,  after  a  ministry  of  less  than 
four  years,  his  connection  with  the  church  in  Berlin  was, 
by  mutual  consent,  dissolved.  He  left  behind  him  those 
who  regarded  him  with  affectionate  respect,  as  a  wise  coun- 
sellor and  a  faithful  and  devoted  pastor,  to  whom  they  felt 
that  they  were  under  lasting  obligations. 


APPENDIX.  375 

Mr.  Wallcot  was  married  in  Boston,  Sept.  25,  1832,  to 
his  second  cousin,  Mary  Ann  Powers.  Their  children  are 
Mary  R.  and  Annie  E.  Wallcot. 

After  his  dismission,  he  was  appointed  general  agent  of 
the  American  Antislavery  Society.  His  residence  is  in 
Boston. 

V. 

WASHINGTON  GILBERT  was  born  in  Atkinson,  N.H., 
March  18,  1800,  and  graduated  at  Williams  College,  Mass., 
in  1826.  His  theological  studies  were  pursued  at  Cam- 
bridge. After  completing  the  prescribed  course,  he  preached 
for  a  year  and  a  half  in  Meadville,  Penn.  And,  after  a 
term  of  probation,  he  received  a  call,  and  was  ordained  as 
pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  in  Harvard,  as 
successor  of  the  lamented  Blanchard,  April  13,  1831.  His 
connection  with  the  society  in  Harvard  ceased  on  the  13th 
of  April,  1855,  after  a  ministry  of  twenty-four  years. 
Soon  afterwards,  he  removed  to  West  Newton  ;  and  on  the 
7th  of  October,  1853,  took  charge  of  the  Unitarian  society 
in  West  Newton,  which  he  held  for  two  years. 

Mr.  Gilbert  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  Worcester 
Association,  April  17,  1833,  and  faithfully  discharged  his 
duties  as  such ;  gaining  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his 
brethren,  who  were  always  sure  of  finding,  at  his  pleasant 
home,  a  hospitable  reception. 

He  was  married,  May  23,  1833,  to  Achsah,  eldest 
daughter  of  Hon.  Stephen  P.  and  Achsah  Gardner,  of 
Bolton.  Their  children  were  —  Augusta  Gardner,  born 
Dec.  9,  1834,  married  to  Samuel  Lane  Wheeler,  merchant 
in  Boston ;  and  Frances  Alliua,  who  died  in  infancy. 
Augusta  was  a  young  lady  of  great  purity  and  loveliness 
of  disposition  and  character;  and  there  were  many  out 
of  the  family  circle  who  sympathized  with  her  bereaved 


376  APPENDIX. 

husband  and  parents,  on  her  early  and  lamented  death, 
which  took  place  Dec.  3,  1855,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one. 

Mr.  Gilbert  published,  at  the  request  of  his  parishioners, 
in  1831,  a  sermon  on  the  "  Connection  of  Religion  with 
Morality,"  and,  in  1834,  a  sermon  on  the  "Law  of  Lib- 
erty." His  present  residence  is  Longwood,  Mass. 

VI. 

SAMUEL  MAY,  son  of  Deacon  Samuel  and  Mary  (God- 
dard)  May,  of  Boston,  was  born  April  11,  1810. 

Having  fitted  for  college,  partly  with  Deacon  Samuel 
Greele,  and  afterwards  at  the  Boston  Latin  School,  he 
entered  Harvard  College,  where  he  graduated  in  1829. 

Having  gone  through  a  course  of  theological  studies,  he 
was  ordained  minister  of  the  small  Unitarian  society  in 
Leicester,  Aug.  13,  1831.  The  society  was  harmonious 
and  compact,  and  numbered  among  its  members  several 
persons  of  wealth  and  cultivation  ;  and  Mr.  May  entered 
on  his  ministry  hopefully,  and  with  favorable  auspices. 
He  had  the  confidence  and  love  of  his  parishioners,  and  the 
respect  of  all  who  knew  him ;  and  we  anticipated  for  him 
a  long  and  peaceful  and  prosperous  ministry.  With  his 
labors  among  his  people,  he  united  a  strong  interest  in  the 
philanthropic  movements  of  the  times,  particularly  that  for 
the  abolition  of  slavery.  Some  of  his  parishioners  did  not 
sympathize  with  their  minister  in  these  matters,  and  signed 
off,  seriously  weakening  the  society,  which  was  never 
strong.  Other  leading  members  died,  or  removed  to  other 
towns ;  so  that,  before  the  close  of  his  ministry,  the  society 
was  much  reduced  in  numbers  and  strength.  His  health, 
too,  failed;  and,  in  1843,  he  was  induced  to  make  the 
tour  of  Europe,  for  health  and  pleasure.  After  a  ministry 
of  fifteen  years,  his  connection  with  the  society  was  dis- 


APPENDIX.  377 

solved  in  July,  1846 ;  and  he  removed  to  Boston  with  his 
family,  retaining  his  pleasant  and  hospitable  home  in 
Leicester  for  a  summer  residence.  He  soon  became 
general  agent  of  the  Massachusetts  Antislavery  Society,  in 
whose  service  he  labored  for  many  years. 

Mr.  May  was  married  Nov.  11,  1835,  to  Sarah,  third 
daughter  of  Nathaniel  P.  Russell,  of  Boston.  Their  chil- 
dren are  Adeline,  Edward,  Joseph  Russell,  and  Elizabeth 
Goddard. 

VII. 

DAVID  LAMSON  was  born  in  Charlton,  Mass.,  June  6, 
1806;  obtained  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  town,  with  one  term  in  an  academy.  He  subse- 
quently was  employed  in  a  cotton  factory  in  West  Boyl- 
ston,  where  he  met  with  an  injury,  which  caused  the  loss 
of  a  limb,  and  where  he  was  married  to  Mary  S.  Moore, 
daughter  of  Dr.  John  Smith,  of  that  village.  He  was  set- 
tled in  Berlin  in  1834.  For  a  few  years  after  his  settle- 
ment, his  ministry  was  prospered,  his  society  increased  in 
numbers,  and  he  seemed  to  be  firmly  established  in  the 
affections  of  his  people.  About  this  time,  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  movement  which  resulted  in  the  establishment 
of  the  Hopedale  Community,  and  labored  to  awaken  an 
interest  among  his  people  in  the  peculiar  views  entertained 
by  the  leaders  of  that  movement.  It  formed  the  subject 
of  his  preaching,  and  became  so  prominent  as  to  cause  a 
good  deal  of  complaint  and  disaffection,  which  led  him  to 
ask  for  a  dismission.  This  was  granted  ;  and  the  dismission 
took  place  in  1840.  After  leaving  Berlin,  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  Hopedale  Community  in  Milford,  Mass., 
of  which  he  was  one  of  the  original  members ;  and  he  was 
a  contributor  to  the  "  Practical  Christian,"  a  periodical 
published  under  the  auspices  of  the  community.  Having 


378  APPENDIX. 

become  dissatisfied  with  the  management  of  that  institution, 
he,  with  his  wife  and  two  little  children,  joined  the  Shaker 
establishment  in  Hancock,  near  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  where 
they  remained  two  years,  when  he  left,  and  returned  to 
West  Boylston,  where  he  has  since  resided  with  his  family. 
In  1848,  he  published  a  small  duodecimo  volume,  with  the 
title,  "  Two  Years'  Experience  among  the  Shakers ; "  from 
which  it  appears  that  he  failed  here,  also,  to  find  that 
"  little  heaven  below,"  for  which  he  longed,  and  for  which 
he  had  sacrificed  so  much. 

VIII. 

RUFUS  P.  STEBBINS,  son  of  Luther  and  Lucina  Stebbins, 
was  born  in  Wilbraham,  Hampden  County,  Mass.,  March 
3,  1810.  He  worked  with  his  father  and  older  brother 
upon  the  little  homestead,  till  the  death  of  his  father,  when 
he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  His  opportunities  for  educa- 
tion were  such  as  were  enjoyed  forty  or  fifty  years  ago  by 
children  in  the  remote  districts  of  a  country  town,  —  a  few 
weeks  of  schooling,  both  summer  and  winter,  till  ten  years 
of  age,  and  then  a  few  weeks  in  the  winter  only,  till  fifteen 
or  sixteen.  A  few  years  after  his  father's  death,  having 
failed  of  success  in  his  endeavors  to  learn  a  trade,  he 
gratified  his  thirst  for  knowledge,  by  obtaining  the  consent 
of  his  mother  to  prepare  himself  for  college,  which  he  did 
at  the  Wesleyan  Academy  in  his  native  town ;  keeping 
school  in  the  winter,  and  working  the  month  of  July  to  pay 
for  his  board  and  tuition.  He  entered  Amherst  College, 
August,  1830,  in  the  twenty-first  year  of  his  age,  in  the 
class  of  which  the  late  Professors  Adams  and  Gray,  and 
Henry  Ward  Beecher,  were  members.  On  the  day  of  his 
graduation,  he  left  Amherst  for  Cambridge,  and  entered 
the  Divinity  School,  August,  1834.  Of  his  classmates  in 


APPENDIX.  379 

the  school,  only  Dr.  Bellows,  of  New  York,  and  Rev.  E. 
H.  Sears,  of  Wayland,  are  now  in  the  ministry.  After 
supplying  the  pulpit  in  Leominster  four  Sundays,  he  was 
invited  to  settle  as  pastor,  by  a  "yea  and  nay"  vote  of 
165  yeas,  0  nays;  and  was  ordained  Sept.  20,  1837, — 
Dr.  Henry  Ware,  jun.,  preaching  the  sermon  on  the 
occasion. 

Mr.  Stebbins  is  of  robust  constitution,  ardent  tempera- 
ment, and  an  unwearied  worker.  He  took  most  decided 
ground  on  the  subject  of  temperance,  of  peace,  and  of  anti- 
slavery  ;  and,  as  might  be  expected,  he  soon  found  strong 
and  active  opponents  in  his  parish.  But  he  maintained 
his  ground ;  and  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  most  of  those 
who  had  felt  cold  or  hostile,  returning  to  friendship  after 
a  few  years. 

In  the  summer  of  1844,  he  was  appointed  President  of 
the  Theological  School  to  be  established  in  Meadville, 
Penn.,  by  the  American  Unitarian  Association,  which  was 
to  pay  him  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  for  five  years ;  and 
the  Unitarian  society  in  that  place  also  called  him  to  be 
their  pastor  for  the  same  time,  with  the  same  sum  for  a 
salary.  He  accepted  the  appointment ;  and  left  Leomiuster 
Sept.  20,  1844,  after  a  successful  ministry  of  seven  years, 
to  the  regret  of  his  parish,  and  of  his  associates  among 
the  neighboring  ministers.  During  his  ministry,  the  Sun- 
day school  connected  with  his  society  averaged  from  three 
hundred  and  fifty  to  four  hundred  members,  including 
teachers  and  pupils ;  and  the  additions  to  the  church  were 
about  a  hundred  and  twenty.  In  this  work  he  was  aided 
not  a  little  by  his  excellent  wife,  Eliza  Clarke,  daughter 
of  Deacon  Nathaniel  and  Elizabeth  Livermore,  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  to  whom  he  was  married  Sept.  11,  1837. 

The  school  founded  at  Meadville  was  in  the  interest  both 
of  the  "Christian"  and  the  Unitarian  denominations.  It 


380  APPENDIX. 

was  a  very  difficult  and  a  very  laborious  work  to  succeed 
in.  For  five  years,  Mr.  Stebbins,  assisted  by  Professor 
Huidekoper,  gave  the  whole  strength  of  both  his  body  and 
mind  to  the  school  and  the  society ;  preaching  every  Sunday, 
and  lecturing  three  or  four  times  a  day  during  the  week.  At 
the  end  of  five  years,  he  resigned  his  pastorship,  and  Rev. 
N.  S.  Folsom  was  chosen  in  his  place.  Another  professor 
was  also  appointed  in  the  school,  Professor  Huidekoper 
having  resigned  a  part  of  his  labors.  It  had  been  the  pur- 
pose of  Mr.  Stebbins  to  leave  the  school  at  the  close  of  the 
seventh  year ;  and  accordingly,  at  that  time,  he  handed  in 
his  resignation,  but  was  prevailed  upon  by  the  friends  of 
the  school  to  withdraw  it. 

The  pressing  necessities  of  the  school  requiring  better 
accommodations,  W.  J.  Huidekoper,  Esq.,  father  of  the 
professor,  and  a  most  worthy  man,  offered  the  trustees  the 
sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  on  condition  that  they  should 
raise  forty  thousand  dollars  more.  Mr.  Stebbins  was  ap- 
pointed agent  to  raise  this  large  sum.  He  was  absent  from 
his  home  nine  weeks,  and  during  that  brief  period  secured 
the  money.  In  1851  he  was  honored  with  the  degree  of 
D.D.  by  Harvard  College.  In  1856  he  resigned  his  situ- 
ation at  Meadville,  leaving  the  school  in  a  prosperous  con- 
dition, and  returned  to  Cambridge,  where  he  resided  a 
year,  when  he  received  a  call  to  settle  as  pastor  of  the 
First  Unitarian  Society  in  TVoburn,  where  he  remained  six 
years.  He  has  but  one  child,  —  a  son,  Nathaniel  Liver- 
more,  born  Jan.  9, 1847. 

Dr.  Stebbins  wrote  much,  when  in  college,  for  the  news- 
papers of  his  county  (Hampden)  ;  and,  while  at  Leomin- 
ster  and  Meadville,  for  the  "  Register"  and  the  "  Inquirer." 
He  has  also  written  several  articles  for  the  "  Examiner ; " 
and  he  assisted  in  editing  the  "  Christian  Repository," 
which  was  published  monthly,  for  one  year,  at  Meadville. 


APPENDIX.  381 

He  has  also  published  three  peace  addresses :  one  delivered 
before  the  Bowdoin-street  Peace  Society.  Boston,  Feb.  7, 
1836 ;  one  before  the  Peace  Society  of  Amherst  College, 
July  4,  1838 ;  and  one  before  the  American  Peace  Society, 
May  28,  1857. 

He  has  published  a  Centennial  Discourse,  Leominster, 
Sept.  24, 1843  ;  Two  Sermons  on  leaving  Leominster,  Sept. 
15,  1844;  a  Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Frederic  W. 
Newell,  Aug.  1,  1847,  at  Brewster,  Mass. ;  a  Sermon  on 
Renovating  the  old  Meeting-house,  Leominster,  July  22, 
1847;  Acceptable  Worship,  Meadville,  Sept.  30,  1849; 
a  Discourse  at  the  Dedication  of  Divinity  Hall,  Meadville, 
Oct.  24,  1844;  an  Address  before  the  Natural  History 
Society,  Meadville,  Nov.  6,  1855  ;  an  Oration  on  Academic 
Culture,  before  the  Literary  Societies  of  Alleghany  Col- 
lege, Meadville,  July  1,  1851 ;  an  Address  before  the 
Middlesex  Agricultural  Society,  Concord,  Mass.,  Sept. 
28,  1859  ;  and  a  handsome  volume,  containing  an  Historical 
Address,  delivered  at  the  Centennial  Celebration  in  Wil- 
braham  in  1863. 

He  writes,  under  date  of  Jan.  18,  1866:  "After  leaving 
Meadville,  in  the  summer  of  1856,  I  removed  to  Cam- 
bridge, and,  for  the  sake  of  rest,  declined  to  preach  as  a 
candidate :  but  I  supplied  vacant  pulpits,  and  the  pulpit  in 
Woburn,  for  four  months.  At  the  expiration  of  six  months, 
they  gave  me  a  call;  and  I  was  installed  April  30,  1857. 
I  remained  in  Woburn  till  November,  1863,  when  I  re- 
signed my  pastorship,  and  removed  to  Cambridge,  where  I 
have  since  resided,  supplying  pulpits  as  opportunity  offered, 
and,  during  the  last  year,  giving  my  time,  as  President  of 
the  American  Unitarian  Association,  to  the  renewal  of  its 
life,  and  raising  funds.  More  than  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars  were  raised;  and,  the  Association  being  in  good 
condition,  I  resigned  the  office  of  President,  or,  rather,  I 


382  APPENDIX. 

declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  re-election,  and  withdrew 
from  the  Executive  Committee." 

Mr.  Stebbins  at  present  resides  in  Cambridge,  supply- 
ing vacant  pulpits  as  his  services  are  called  for,  and  de- 
clining all  offers  of  a  settlement. 


CAZNEAU  PALFREY,  son  of  William  Palfrey,  for  many 
years  an  officer  in  the  Boston  Custom-house,  was  born  in 
Boston,  Aug.  11,  1805.  His  mother's  name  was  Lydia 
Cazneau.  His  parents  were  parishioners  of  Rev.  Dr.  John 
Elliot,  by  whom  he  was  baptized  in  infancy ;  and,  after- 
wards, of  Rev.  Francis  Parkman,  D.D.,  his  successor, 
under  whose  ministry  Mr.  Palfrey  was  brought  up.  He 
received  his  early  education,  and  was  prepared  for  college, 
in  the  public  schools  of  Boston,  and  entered  Harvard  Col- 
lege at  the  age  of  seventeen,  graduating  in  1826.  During 
his  course  of  study  in  the  Theological  School,  he  was  for 
one  year  a  tutor  in  the  Latin  department  in  the  University. 
On  the  5th  of  October,  1830,  he  was  ordained  pastor  of  the 
Unitarian  church  in  Washington,  D.C.  His  ministry  in 
that  city  terminated  in  January,  1836.  On  the  25th  of 
April,  1838,  he  was  installed  pastor  of  the  First  Congre- 
gational Church  in  Grafton,  Mass.,  where  he  continued 
till  April  25,  1843,  just  five  years.  From  April,  1844,  to 
October,  1847,  he  ministered  to  the  Congregational  Cliurch 
in  East  Barnstable,  Mass. ;  and  on  the  19th  of  April,  1848, 
was  installed  pastor  of  the  First  Parish  in  Belfast,  Me., 
which  post  he  still  occupies. 

Mr.  Palfrey  was  married,  May  30,  1838,  to  Anne 
Parker,  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.  Jaazaniah  Crosby,  D.D.,  of 
Charlestown,  N.H.  Their  children  are  —  Hersey  Good- 
win, born  in  Grafton,  Oct.  9,  1839,  graduated  at  Harvard 


APPENDIX.  383 

College,  1860;  Mary  Walker,  born  in  Grafton,  27th  of 
December,  1840  ;  Rebecca  Salisbury,  born  in  Barnstable, 
9th  of  May,  1844 ;  and  Charles  Follen,  born  in  Barnsta- 
ble, July  4,  1846. 

His  published  writings  are  the  following :  — 

1.  On  Forming  Good  Resolutions :  a  New  Yeai-'s  Ser- 
mon, delivered  in  Washington. 

2.  Two  Sermons,  in  the   "Liberal  Preacher:"  Ways 
of  Pleasantness,  and  Influence  of  the  Gospel  on  the  Do- 
mestic Relations. 

3.  Two   Tracts   of    the    Unitarian    Association ;    viz., 
Change  of  Heart,  and  Retribution. 

4.  Four  articles  in   the    "Christian  Examiner;"  viz., 
on  the  Life  and  Character  of  Rev.  Hersey  B.  Goodwin, 
of  Concord,  Mass. ;  on  Retribution  ;  a  Review  of  Peabody's 
Sermons   of   Consolation ;   and   a    Review    of  Wayland's 
University  Discourses. 

Mr.  Palfrey  was  the  first  editor  (1839)  of  the  "  Monthly 
Miscellany  of  Religion  and  Letters,"  of  which  the  present 
"  Monthly  Religious  Magazine,"  now  so  ably  conducted  by 
Rev.  Messrs.  Ellis  and  Sears,  is  the  successor.  He  has 
also  been  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  last-named  peri- 
odical, since  it  passed  out  of  his  hands ;  and  has  published 
several  funeral  and  other  occasional  discourses  in  the  Bel- 
fast papers. 

X. 

WILLIAM  II.  LOUD.  —  After  the  death  of  Rev.  Jeroboam 
Parker,  of  Southborough,  a  new  society  was  formed,  by  a 
respectable  minority  of  the  legal  voters  of  the  old  parish, 
assuming  the  title  of  the  Evangelical  Congregational 
Church  in  Southborough ;  leaving  the  old  meeting-house, 
and  the  church  property,  in  the  hands  of  the  majority  that 
remained.  The  old  society,  though  thus  diminished  in 


384  APPENDIX. 

numbers,  weakened  in  its  resources,  and  held  together  by 
rather  loose  bonds,  resolved  to  support  public  worship, 
and  settle  a  minister.  Accordingly,  they  invited  to  settle 
among  them  Mr.  John  Davis  Sweet,  a  graduate  of  Bow- 
doin  College  of  the  year  1829,  and  of  the  class  of  1832 
in  the  Divinity  School,  Cambridge.  Accordingly,  he  was 
ordained  as  minister  of  the  First  Congregational  Parish  in 
Southborough  where  he  continued  for  a  time,  gaining  a 
strong  hold  on  the  affections  of  his  people.  His  request 
for  a  dismission  was  the  occasion  of  much  surprise  and 
regret ;  and  the  society  never  fully  recovered  from  the 
wound  inflicted  upon  it  by  the  withdrawal  of  their  beloved 
pastor. 

They  were  not,  however,  wholly  discouraged ;  and,  in 
1838,  they  were  united  again  in  giving  a  call  to  Mr. 
William  H.  Lord,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College ;  who, 
having  pursued  a  course  of  theological  studies  at  Andover, 
was  licensed  to  preach,  by  an  association  of  Orthodox 
ministers,  under  whose  auspices  he  offered  himself  as  a 
candidate  for  settlement.  Sometime  after  this,  his  theo- 
logical creed  having  undergone  a  radical  change,  his  license 
was  withdrawn.  After  spending  six  months  at  Cambridge, 
he  was  again  licensed  to  preach  by  another  association, 
when  he  began  to  preach  in  Unitarian  pulpits.  After  a 
probation  of  a  few  weeks,  he  was  invited  by  the  First 
Parish  in  Southborough  to  become  their  minister ;  and  in 
September,  1838,  he  was  ordained.  He  held  that  office 
for  four  years,  and  asked  a  dismission,  which  was  granted 
in  September,  1842.  After  preaching  in  various  pulpits 
for  three  years  without  a  settlement,  he  was  invited,  in 
the  spring  of  1845,  to  take  charge  of  the  Unitarian  church 
in  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  as  the  successor  of  Rev.  William 
Gushing,  now  of  Clinton,  Mass.,  who  had  been  compelled 
by  ill  health  to  relinquish  that  office,  after  a  brief  but 


APPENDIX.  385 

pleasant  and  successful  ministry.  Mr.  Lord  was  a  popular 
preacher,  and  was  received  at  Milwaukee  with  a  hearty 
welcome.  The  society  in  that  place  had  just  built  a  neat 
and  commodious  house  of  worship,  which  was  filled  by  a 
very  respectable  congregation ;  and,  at  the  commencement 
of  Mr.  Lord's  ministry,  all  appearances  indicated  health 
and  prosperity.  But  appearances  proved  fallacious.  Mr. 
Lord's  ministry  was  brief:  for  reasons  unknown  to  us, 
he  soon  (in  1847)  asked  a  dismission,  abandoned  the 
ministry,  engaged  in  other  occupations,  and  is  at  present, 
I  believe,  connected  with  some  publishing  firm  or  news- 
paper establishment  in  New  York  or  Philadelphia.  He 
was  married,  Jan.  1,  1840,  to  Persis,  daughter  of  the 
venerable  Dr.  Kendall,  of  Plymouth,  Mass.  Of  their  five 
children,  all  sons,  three  —  Francis,  Ernest,  and  William  — 
died  in  infancy  ;  the  other  two  —  Arthur  and  Eliot  —  live 
with  their  mother  in  Plymouth. 

XI. 

WILLIAM  MORSE  was  born  in  Pomfret,  Conn.,  May  7, 
1798.  He  began  his  ministry  in  connection  with  the 
denomination  of  Universalists,  and  was  ordained  over  a 
Universalist  society  in  Philadelphia,  June  18,  1824,  where 
he  officiated  two  years.  In  the  same  connection,  he 
preached  in  Nantucket  five  years ;  and,  subsequently,  two 
and  a  half  years  in  Milton  and  Quinoy.  After  the  resigna- 
tion of  Rev.  Mr.  Alden,  the  Second  Congregational  Church 
and  Society  in  Marlborough  invited  Mr.  Morse  to  be  their 
minister;  and  he  was  installed  there,  June  25,  1834.  lie 
closed  his  labors  in  Marlborough,  July  14,  1844,  after  a 
faithful  and  peaceful  ministry  of  ten  years.  Sept.  24,  1845, 
he  was  again  installed  over  the  Unitarian  society  in 
Tyngsborough,  where  he  remained  nine  years.  From 

25 


388  APPENDIX. 

Jan.  1,  1854,  he  supplied  the  pulpit  in  Chelmsford  for 
several  years,  and  now  resides  in  Franklin,  N.H. 

Mr.  Morse  was  married  while  in  Philadelphia,  Dec.  24, 
1824,  to  Sophronia  Kneeland,  daughter  of  Abner  Knee- 
land.  Their  only  child  was  married  to  Daniel  Barnard, 
Esq.,  a  lawyer  in  Franklin,  N.H. 

Mr.  Morse  received  an  honorary  degree  of  A.M.  in 
August,  1852,  from  Harvard  College. 

XII. 

DAVID  FOSDICK,  jun.,  son  of  David  and  Joann  (Skil- 
ton)  Fosdick,  was  born  in  Charlestown,  Mass.,  Nov.  9, 
1813,  and  graduated  at  Amherst  College  in  1831,  at  the 
early  age  of  eighteen.  Having  pursued  a  course  of  theo- 
logical studies  at  Andover,  he  entered  the  ministry,  and 
was  ordained  over  the  First  Congregational  Church  and 
Society  in  Sterling,  March  3,  1841,  as  the  immediate  suc- 
cessor of  Rev.  P.  Osgood.  Here  he  remained  about  five 
years.  Shortly  after  his  dismission,  —  viz.,  March  4,  1846, 
— he  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Hollis-street  Church  in 
Boston,  as  the  successor  of  Rev.  John  Pierpont,  where  he 
remained  till  September,  1847 ;  after  which,  he  supplied 
the  pulpit  in  other  places,  till  April  16,  1854,  when  he 
became  the  minister  of  a  Union  society  formed  at  Groton 
Junction,  where  he  continued  to  preach  till  July  1,  1860. 

He  married,  March  10,  1841,  Sarah  Lawrence  Wood- 
bury,  a  niece  of  Amos  and  Abbott  Lawrence,  whose 
widowed  sister,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Fosdick,  lived  in 
Groton.  She  had  been  the  wife  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wood- 
bury,  Orthodox  minister  of  North  Yarmouth,  Me.,  who 
married  Mary  Lawrence,  of  Groton.  Mrs.  Fosdick  died 
Nov.  25,  1860,  three  weeks  after  the  birth  of  their  ninth 
child.  Their  children  are,  Samuel  Woodbury,  Mary, 


HelioorapKic  Eng    Co.  135  "West    25* 


APPENDIX.  387 

George,  Charles,  Frederic,  David,  Rose,  Lucy,  Sarah 
Woodbury.  George  and  David  have  deceased.  Mr. 
Fosdick,  with  his  motherless  children,  now  lives  in 
Groton. 

XIII. 

EDMUND  HAMILTON  SEARS,  son  of  Joseph  and  Lucy 
(Smith)  Sears,  was  born  in  Sandisfield,  Berkshire  County, 
Mass.,  April  6,  1810  ;  being  in  direct  descent  from  Richard 
Sears,  one  of  John  Robinson's  congregation,  who  landed  at 
Plymouth  in  1630.  Having  graduated  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  N.Y.,  in  1834,  he  entered  the  Divinity  School 
at  Cambridge,  in  the  class  of  1837, —  the  same  class  with 
Rev.  Dr*.  Bellows  and  Stebbins.  Feb.  20,  1839,  he  was 
ordained  over  the  First  Congregational  Church  and  Society 
in  Wayland,  as  successor  of  Rev.  John  Wight,  where  he 
remained  till  October,  1840.  Dec.  23  of  the  same  year, 
he  was  installed  as  successor  of  Rev.  Dr.  Thayer,  over  the 
First  Congregational  Society  in  Lancaster.  After  a  happy1 
ministry  of  seven  years,  he  was  compelled,  by  the  state  of 
his  health,  to  ask  a  dismission,  which  was  reluctantly 
granted ;  and  his  connection  with  his  people  was  dissolved 
in  March,  1847. 

He  now  went  back  to  his  old  friends  in  Wayland ;  who 
received  with  gladness  the  pastor  from  whom  they  had 
been  separated  for  a  season,  and  who  was  re-in.stalled  over 
.  them  in  1848.  In  May,  1867,  he  was  installed  as  colleague 
pastor  with  Rev.  Dr.  Field,  of  the  First  Congregational 
Society  in  Weston. 

Mr.  Sears  was  married,  Nov.  7,  1839,  to  Ellen  Bacon, 
daughter  of  Hon.  Kbenezer  Bacon,  of  Barnstable.  Their 
children  are  three  sons;  viz.,  Francis  Bacon,  Edmund 
Hamilton,  and  Horace  Scudder.  Their  only  daughter, 
Katy,  a  promising  child  of  ten  years,  died  in  1853.  Most 


388  APPENDIX. 

of  Mr.  Sears's  publications  are  well  known,  as  he  is  one  of 
our  most  popular  writers.  The  following  list  comprises 
all  of  those  which  are  published  under  his  name,  or  which 
are  known  to  be  his :  — 

1.  A  Treatise  on  Regeneration,  in  1853. 

2.  Pictures  of  the  Olden  Time,  as  shown  in  the  For- 
tunes of  a  Family  of  the  Pilgrims,  1857. 

3.  Athanasia,  or  Foregleams  of  Immortality,  1858. 

Discourses  and  Addresses. 

1.  Address  at  Lancaster,  before  the  Washington  Total 
Abstinence  Society,  1841. 

2.  Good  Works :  a  Sermon,  1843. 

3.  Voices  of  the  Past,  Lancaster,  the  last  sabbath  of 
the  year,  1845. 

4.  A  Discourse  on  the  Death  of  Rev.  Isaac  Allen,  of 
Bolton,  1844. 

5.  Discourse  at   the   Funeral   of  Deacon    Samuel  F. 
White,  of  Lancaster,  1843. 

6.  Worship :  a  Tract  of  the  American  Unitarian  Asso- 
ciation, 1850. 

7.  Revolution  or  Reform,  preached  soon  after  the  as- 
sault on  Hon.  Charles  Sumner,  1856. 

8.  Hindrances  to  a  Successful  Ministry,  preached  at  the 
Ordination  of  Mr.  J.  M.  Heard,  at  Clinton,  Mass.,  1858. 

9.  A  Discourse  delivered  in  Fitchburg  at  the  Funeral 
of  Rev.  J.  M.  Heard. 

Mr.  Sears  has  rendered  an  acceptable  service  to  the 
public,  by  his  speeches  and  written  addresses  at  conven- 
tions and  conferences,  and  especially  by  his  contributions 
to  the  "  Monthly  Religious  Magazine,"  of  which  he  has 
been  co-editor,  with  Rev.  Rufns  Ellis,  since  January,  1859. 

From  a  late  communication  from  Mr.  Sears,  I  quote  the 


t 


APPENDIX.  389 

following :  "  I  prepared  for  college,  in  part,  at  Westfield 
Academy,  then  in  charge  of  Emerson  Davis  ;  was  educated 
under  old  Calvinism,  though  never  converted  to  it ;  entered 
Union  College  in  1831 ;  graduated  in  1834,  under  Dr. 
Nott ;  entered  my  name  in  the  law-office  of  Thomas  Twin- 
ing, Esq.,  of  Sandisfield,  with  whom  I  studied  law  about 
nine  months,  especially  Blac.kstone,  and  books  on  the  laws 
of  evidence.  I  owe  much  to  these  law  studies.  Entered 
the  Cambridge  Theological  School  late  in  1834 ;  graduated 
in  1837,  under  the  Wares,  senior  and  junior,  and  Dr. 
Palfrey,  —  most  invaluable  teachers  ;  ordained  at  Wayland, 
Feb.  20,  1838.  My  two  years'  ministry  at  Wayland,  some- 
thing less  than  seven  years  at  Lancaster,  at  Wayland 
again  sixteen  years,  at  Weston  nearly  three  years,  —  all 
stored  with  most  delightful  memories,  though  I  broke  down 
at  Lancaster  with  exhausting  labor. 

"  The  partial  failure  of  voice  led  me  more  to  the  use  of 
the  pen.  Hence  my  three  books,  —  two  of  them  published 
by  the  American  Unitarian  Association,  —  which  have 
passed  through,  I  believe,  six  or  seven  edition?.  The 
'Pictures'  passed  through  two  editions.  The  books,"  he 
adds,  "were  not  written  with  any  idea  of  profit;  though, 
very  unexpectedly  and  providentially,  they  became  profit- 
able, and  enabled  me  to  preach  in  a  small  parish,  with 
small  salary,  to  which  I  was  compelled  by  failure  of 
voice." 

XIV. 

WILLIAM  BARRY  was  born  Jan.  10,  1805,  in  the  north 
part  of  Boston,  and  was  the  son  of  William  Barry,  Esq., 
and  of  Esther  (Stetson)  Barry,  youngest  sister  of  Major 
Ainasa  Stetson,  of  Dorchester.  Having  studied  in  Woburn 
under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Thomas  Waterman,  and  in 
Iliugham  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  Joseph  Richardson,  he 


390  APPENDIX. 

entered  Brown  University  in  the  class  of  1822,  with  Hon. 
Isaac  Davis  and  Judge  Kinnicut  of  Worcester,  Professor 
Caswell,  and  others  who  have  been  distinguished.  After 
graduation,  he  studied  law  with  Judge  Shaw,  of  Boston, 
for  about  a  year  and  a  half;  but,  the  state  of  his  health  not 
allowing  him  to  continue  his  studies,  he  left  Boston,  and 
visited  New  Orleans,  and  other  parts  of  the  Southern 
States.  Thus  he  passed  two  years,  without  being  able  to 
resume  his  studies.  Entering  the  Divinity  School  at 
Cambridge,  he  continued  there  till  July,  1828,  when  he 
sailed  for  Europe,  with  the  Rev.  James  C.  Richmond  as  a 
companion.  They  together  entered  the  University  of  Got- 
tingen,  having  been  favored  with  letters  to  Blumenbach 
and  Heeren,  the  well-known  veterans  of  that  institution, 
whose  lectures,  with  those  of  Ewald  the  Hebraist,  Liicke, 
&c.,  they  attended.  The  following  year,  Mr.  Barry  pro- 
ceeded to  Paris,  passing  some  months  in  attendance  on  the 
lectures  of  the  Sorbonne,  and  in  historical  researches  in 
the  Royal  Library ;  and,  in  the  summer,  travelled,  in  com- 
pany with  a  young  English  phy.-ician,  in  Switzerland  and 
Holland,  and  subsequently  in  England,  pursuing  historical 
researches  in  the  British  Museum  in  London.  Thence  he 
proceeded  to  Copenhagen  with  the  same  design,  returning 
to  America  from  Elsineur  in  the  autumn  of  1829.  In 
June,  1830,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Boston  As- 
sociation ;  and  after  supplying,  for  a  few  weeks  each,  the  pul- 
pits of  the  First  Church  in  Roxbury,  and  that  of  Medfield 
and  Philadelphia,  in  May  of  that  year  he  commenced  his 
labors  with  a  new  society  formed  in  Lowell  (the  South  Con- 
gregational Society),  consisting,  at  first,  of  about  twenty-five 
families,  over  which  he  was  ordained  as  pastor,  Nov.  17, 
1830,  —  Rev.  Dr.  Lowell,  of  Boston,  preaching  the  sermon 
of  ordination.  Here  he  continued  till  July,  1835,  when  a 
renewed  failure  of  health  compelled  him  to  suspend  his 


APPENDIX.  391 

labors ;  and  he  resigned  his  ministry.  The  society  at  that 
time  numbered  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  families,  in- 
volving arduous  and  exhausting  labors,  quite  beyond  his 
strength.  In  the  mean  time,  a  substantial  church  edifice 
had  been  erected ;  and  a  parish  association,  of  an  efficient 
character,  had  been  organized,  to  provide,  with  the  aid  of 
a  library,  for  an  effective  administration  of  the  Sunday 
school,  for  charities  to  the  poor,  for  the  diffusion  of  religious 
knowledge,  &c.  The  church,  at  the  same  time,  numbered 
nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty  communicants. 

After  some  months'  retirement,  Mr.  Barry  resumed 
preaching,  and  Dec.  16,  1835,  was  installed  pastor  of  the 
First  Parish  in  Framingham.  Here  he  continued  for  a 
term  of  ten  years,  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  duties  as  a 
pastor,  gaining  the  esteem  and  love  of  his  parishioners,  and 
enjoying  the  friendship  of  the  venerated  Dr.  Kellogg,  his 
predecessor,  till  his  death,  and  also  of  Rev.  Charles  Train, 
the  esteemed  minister  of  the  Baptist  church  in  that  town, 
who,  for  some  time,  was  an  attendant  on  his  ministry. 
The  society  in  Framingham,  after  the  secession  of  the 
Orthodox  membei-s,  who  formed  a  new  society  after  the 
resignation  of  Dr.  Kellogg,  was  never  large  ;  but  it  retained 
much  of  the  traditionary  spirit  of  the  ancient  New-England 
churches,  and  embraced  many  substantial  and  worthy 
men. 

Mr.  Barry  interested  himself  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
town,  as  also  in  its  history,  on  which  he  prepared  an  ex- 
tended and  elaborate  work,  in  a  handsome  octavo  volume 
of  four  hundred  and  fifty  pages,  published  in  1847. 

In  June,  1844,  failing  health  obliged  him  again  to  seek 
relief;  and,  in  company  with  his  wife  and  other  friends,  he 
visited  Kurope,  passing  some  months  in  Nismes,  in  the 
south  of  France,  whence  he  returned,  but  partially  bene- 
fited, in  December. 


392  APPENDIX. 

The  following  year,  he  declined  an  invitation  to  take  the 
charge  of  a  new  society  and  church  in  Lowell ;  and,  in 
December,  he  resigned  his  ministry  in  Framingham,  not 
preaching  at  all  for  two  years. 

In  October,  1847,  at  the  renewed  invitation  of  his  friends 
in  Lowell,  he  commenced  a  ministry,  without  installation, 
at  that  place,  where  he  continued  until  May,  1853 ;  during 
which  period  the  new  society  erected  a  substantial  church 
edifice  (the  Lee-street  Church),  provided  for  an  active 
ministration  to  the  poor  of  the  city,  and  to  the  neglected 
children  of  a  large  and  destitute  neighborhood. 

Continued  feebleness  of  health  required  a  recess  from 
active  labor,  and,  in  1851,  he  once  more  crossed  the  ocean  ; 
at  this  time  visiting  Asia,  travelling  in  Syria,  and  returning 
through  Italy  and  France.  Successive  attacks  of  illness 
resulted  in  his  final  retirement  from  the  ministry ;  and,  in 
obedience  to  his  medical  advisers,  he  removed  to  the  West, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  Chicago,  which  has  since  been 
his  home. 

Upon  the  organization,  in  1856,  of  the  Chicago  Histori- 
cal Society.  Mr.  Barry  was  invited  to  take  charge  of  its 
operations,  as  its  secretary ;  a  position  for  which  his  early 
acquisitions  and  historical  tastes  had  well  prepared  him. 
Here  he  found  pleasant  employment ;  passing  five  or  six 
hours  a  day  in  his  office,  in  arranging  the  books  and 
pamphlets  received  from  the  friends  of  the  institution,  in 
waiting  upon  visitors,  and  in  carrying  on  a  large  corre- 
spondence with  similar  institutions  in  various  parts  of  the 
world.  The  society,  through  the  centre  of  its  operations 
in  Chicago,  contemplates  the  broader  field  of  historical 
research  for  the  State  of  Illinois  and  the  entire  North-west. 
Mr.  Barry  has  been  associated,  as  a  member,  with  the 
American  Antiquarian  Society,  with  the  Massachusetts, 
New-England,  Vermont,  and  Iowa  Historical  Societies, 


APPENDIX.  393 

with  the  Essex  Institute,  and  with  the  Chicago  Academy 
of  Science.  He  has  also  been  a  trustee  of  the  Ministry 
at  Large,  and  of  the  Charitable  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary  at 
Chicago.  He  was  formerly  President  of  the  Lowell  Mis- 
sionary Association,  and  a  trustee  of  the  academies  at 
Derry,  N.H.,  and  at  Framingham. 

Mr.  Barry  was  married,  Nov.  11,  1835,  to  Elizabeth 
C.  Willard,  daughter  of  Cephas  Willard,  Esq.,  and  Clarissa 
Willard,  of  Petersham,  Mass.,  who  was  niece  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Willard,  of  Deerfield,  and  grandniece  of  President  Wil- 
lard of  Harvard  College. 

Their  children  are  two  daughters.  Elizabeth  married 
Lawrence  Proudfoot,  Esq.,  counsellor-at-law ;  and  Julia 
Dalton  married  Belden  F.  Colver,  Esq.,  a  merchant,  both 
living  in  Chicago.  Their  only  son,  a  beautiful  boy,  died 
in  Lowell,  at  the  age  of  five  years. 

At  the  invitation  of  the  Regent  of  the  Mount- Vernon 
Ladies'  Association,  Mrs.  Barry  took  charge  of  the  collec- 
tions for  that  association,  as  vice-regent  for  the  State  of 
Illinois. 

Publications. 

1.  Farewell  Sermon  at  Lowell,  1835. 

2.  Two  Discourses  on  the  Rights  and  Duties  of  Neighboring 

Churches,  Framingham,  1844. 

3.  Thoughts  on   Christian  Doctrine :    Tract  of  American  Uni- 

tarian Association,  1844. 

4.  The  History  of  Framingham,  1847. 

5.  The  Twenty-fifth  Report  of  the  Schools  of  Lowell,  1852. 

6.  The  Antiquities  of  Wisconsin,  in  Transactions  of  the  State 

Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin,  Madison,  1857. 

Mr.  Barry  also  published,  in  the  "Christian  Register" 
for  184-"),  Letters  on  the  Religious  Condition  of  France; 
also,  in  the  "Lowell  Journal"  of  18.">1,  Letters  from 


394  APPENDIX. 

the  East ;  and  has  been  a  contributor  to  the  journals 
of  Chicago,  on  historical,  agricultural,  and  sanitary  sub- 
jects, &c. 

XV. 

RICHARD  S.  EDES,  son  of  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  and  Catherine 
(May)  Ed-  s,  was  born  in  Providence,  R.I.,  April  24,  1810. 
He  was  fitted  for  Harvard  College,  to  which  he  was  ad- 
mitted in  1826:  but,  on  the  accession  of  Dr.  Wayland  as 
President  of  Brown  University,  he  removed  his  connec- 
tions from  Harvard  to  Brown,  graduating  in  1830 ;  and 
from  the  Divinity  School,  Cambridge,  in  1834.  Dec.  1, 
1836,  he  was  ordained  over  the  Unitarian  society  in  East- 
fort,  Me.,  where  he  remained  till  Sept.  6,  1842,  when,  in 
consequence  of  impaired  health,  he  sent  in  his  resignation, 
which  was  reluctantly  granted ;  the  society  "  bearing  their 
testimony  to  the  conscientious  and  constant  efforts  which 
we  have  witnessed  in  you,  to  fulfil,  to  the  utmost,  the  duties 
given  you  in  charge,  and  to  make  your  labors  here  pro- 
motive  of  our  highest  good."  May  24,  1843,  he  was  in- 
stalled over  the  First  Congregational  Society  in  Bolton, 
as  colleague  of  the  Rev.  Isaac  Allen,  whose  health  had 
now  begun  to  fail,  and  who  lived  less  than  a  year  after  the 
installation  of  Mr.  Edes.  After  Mr.  Allen's  death,  March 
18,  1844,  Mr.  Edes  continued  the  minister  of  Bolton  for 
the  term  of  about  five  years  and  a  half,  when,  to  the  great 
regret  of  his  many  friends,  he  felt  constrained,  in  conse- 
quence of  difficulties  in  his  parish,  to  ask  a  dismission. 
His  connection  with  the  parish,  as  its  minister,  WHS  dis- 
solved Dec.  25,  1848.  When  it  was  known  that  he  contem- 
plated this  step,  his  brethren  of  the  Worcester  Association, 
with  whom  he  had  been  pleasantly  associated,  anxious  to 
retain  him  among  them,  sent  to  the  parish  a  pastoral  letter, 
signed  by  all  the  members  present,  proffering  their  media- 


APPENDIX.  395 

tion.  The  letter  was  favorably  received ;  and  the  parish, 
soon  after,  addressed  a  letter  to  Mr.  Edes,  requesting  him 
to  withdraw  the  notice  he  had  given,  and  expressing  the 
belief  that  "  the  difficultie s  were  of  such  a  nature,  that  they 
might  be  buried  to  rise  no  more,  and  that  the  harmony  of 
feeling  which  constitutes  the  beauty  and  usefulness  of  the 
connection  between  a  pastor  and  his  people  might  be  re- 
stored." This  letter  was  signed  by  sixty-one  voters,  while 
thirty-four  declined  signing  it.  The  difficulties  continuing, 
however,  the  connection  terminated,  as  stated  above,  on 
Christmas  Day,  1848. 

Mr.  Edes  still  lives  in  Bolton,  on  the  snug  little  farm 
owned  by  his  predecessor,  Mr.  Allen,  and  occupied  by  him 
till  his  death.  It  was  purchased  by  Dr.  Robert  Thaxter, 
of  Dorchester,  who,  at  his  death,  bequeathed  it  to  Mrs. 
Edes,  his  niece. 

Mr.  Edes  was  married  April  19,  1837,  to  Mary  Gush- 
ing, daughter  of  Jerome  and  Mary  (Thaxter)  Gushing, 
of  Ilingham. 

Their  children  are  —  Robert  Thaxter,  born  Sept.  23, 
1838,  I I.C.  18.38,  a  student  in  medicine;  Richard  Henry, 
born  Aug.  3,  1840,  died  Dec.  29,  1854;  Abbie  May.  born 
July  10,  1842,  died  July  19,  1842;  Elizabeth  Gushing, 
born  Sept.  21,  1843;  Edward  Louis,  born  Nov.  19,  1845; 
Sophia  Augusta  May,  born  Feb.  2,  1848;  Mary  Gushing, 
born  Sept.  6,  1850;  Francis  Cracoft,  born  Aug.  25,  1853; 
William  Gushing,  born  Jan.  14,  185G;  John  May,  born 
Feb.  27,  1859. 

Publications. 

1.  A  Sermon  at  the  Funeral  of  Rev.  Isaac  Allen,  March  21, 

1844. 
"2.  A  Discourse  at  the  Dedication  of  the  Church,  Dec.  2G, 

1H44. 
Also,  School  Reports  and  communications  to  the  papers. 


396  APPENDIX. 


XVI. 

EDMUND  B.  WILLSOX,  son  of  Rev.  Luther  and  Sally 
(Bigelow)  Willson,  was  born  in  Petersham,  Aug.  15, 1820. 
He  entered  Yale  College,  but,  on  account  of  ill  health, 
did  not  graduate  with  his  class.  He  studied  divinity  in 
Cambridge  with  the  class  of  1843,  and  received,  the 
honorary  degree  of  A.M.  from  Harvard  College  in  1853. 
He  was  ordained,  Jan.  3,  1844,  as  minister  of  the  First 
Congregational  Society  in  Grafton,  succeeding  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Palfrey  in  that  office ;  and  after  a  useful  minis- 
try of  more  than  eight  years,  in  which  he  had  endeared 
himself  to  his  people,  and  made  himself  favorably  known 
in  the  neighboring  churches,  he  was  dismissed,  at  his  own 
request,  July  1,  1852;  and  in  the  same  month,  July  18, 
was  installed  over  the  Second  Church  in  Roxbury  (West 
Roxbury).  From  this  charge  he  was  dismissed,  at  his 
request,  May,  1859  ;  and,  on  the  oth  of  the  following  June, 
was  installed  over  the  New  North  Church  in  Salem,  left 
vacant  by  the  resignation  of  Rev.  Charles  Lowe ;  which 
office  he  still  holds.  He  was  married  to  Martha  Ann 
Buttrick,  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Patty  (Wheeler) 
Buttrick.  Their  children  are  —  Sophia  Edgell,  born 
March  1,  1845;  Martha  Buttrick,  born  Nov.  3,  1845,  died 
Feb.  8,  1853 ;  Lucy  Burr,  born  Nov.  13,  1849  ;  Alice 
Brooks,  born  Aug.  5,  1851  ;  Robert  Wheeler,  born  July 
20,  1853;  Edmund  Russell,  born  April  21,  1856. 

Mr.  Willson  has  published  two  valuable  historical  dis- 
courses, —  one  entitled  the  "  Church  Record,"  preached  in 
Grafton,  Dec.  27,  1846  ;  the  other,  "  An  Address  delivered 
in  Petersham,  July  4,  1854,  in  Commemoration  of  the 
One  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  Incorporation  of  that 
Town."  Also  a  sermon,  preached  in  the  North  Church, 
Salem,  March  4,  1860,  entitled  "The  Memory  of 
Christ." 


APPENDIX.  397 


XVII. 

HORATIO  ALGER,  son  of  James  and  Hannah  (Bassett) 
Alger,  was  born  in  Bridgewater,  Nov.  6,  180G.*  He 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1825,  and  at  the  Divinity 
School  in  1829,  with  the  class  of  which  Hersey  B.  Good- 
win and  Cazneau  Palfrey  were  members.  He  was  ordained 
in  Chelsea,  Sept.  2,  1829,  as  the  successor  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Tuckermnn,  of  blessed  memory,  and  retained  that  office 
nearly  fifteen  years.  His  connection  with  that  society  was 
dissolved  April  4,  1844  ;  and  in  the  following  year,  Jan.  22, 
1845,  he  was  installed  over  the  Second  Congregational 
Society  in  Maryborough,  as  successor  of  Rev.  Willium 
Morse,  retaining  his  connection  with  it  till  July  18,  1859. 
His  engagement  with  the  society  in  South  Natick  com- 
menced on  the  third  Sunday  in  June,  1860. 

Mr.  Alger  was  married  March  31,  1831,  to  Olive  Au- 
gusta Fenno,  daughter  of  Deacon  John  and  Olive  (Pratt) 
Feuno,  of  Boston,  deacon  of  the  New  North  Church  (Dr. 
Parkrnan's).  They  were  the  first  couple  married  in  East 
Boston.  Their  children  are  —  Horatio,  born  Jan.  1 3, 1 832, 
H.C.  1852,  DS.  1860;  Olive  Augusta,  born  Nov.  19, 
1833;  James,  born  March  11,  1836,  lives  in  California; 
Anna  M.  C.,  born  Oct.  24,  1850;  Francis,  born  Aug.  21, 
1852. 

Mr.  Alger  has  contributed  several  articles  to  the  "  Uni- 
tarian Advocate,"  and  to  the  "Monthly  Religious  Maga- 
zine ; "  and  in  1850  printed  a  small  pamphlet,  entitled  "  The 
Church  Record,"  being  a  concise  u  Sketch  of  the  Origin 
and  History  of  the  West  Church  in  Marlborough,"  &c. 

Mr.  Alger  is  at  present  pastor  of  the  Unitarian  Congre- 
gregational  Church  in  South  Natick. 


*  Mr.  Aider's  father  was  a  deacon  of  Rev.  Dr.  Simper's  church, 
and  hi*  in<>ther  a  descendant  of  the  Cu*hm:m  family,  lur  mother  being 
1'hebe  Cushimm. 


398  APPENDIX. 


XVIII. 

EDWARD  EVERETT  HALE,  son  of  lion.  Nathan  Hale, 
for  many  years  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  "  Boston 
Daily  Advertiser,"  was  born  in  Boston,  April  3,  1822. 
His  mother  was  Sarah  Preston  (Everett)  Hale,  daughter 
of  Rev.  Oliver  and  Lucy  (Hill)  Everett,  of  Dorchester, 
and  sister  of  Hon.  Edward  Everett,  for  whom  he  was 
named.  His  father,  Nathan  Hale,  was  the  son  of  Rev. 
Enoch  and  Octavia  (Throop)  Hale.  He  was  fitted  -for 
college  at  the  Boston  Latin  School,  and  graduated  at 
Cambridge  in  1839.  He  studied  for  the  ministry  with  Rev. 
Dr.  Latlirop,  of  Boston  ;  and  after  supplying  the  pulpit  of 
the  Unitarian  church  in  Washington,  D.C.,  during  the 
winter  of  1844—5,  was  ordained  at  Woi'cester  over  the 
Church  of  the  Unity,  April  28,  1846.  He  relinquished 
the  charge  of  that  church  the  last  Sunday  of  July,  1856, 
and  was  installed  as  the  third  minister  of  the  South  Con- 
gregational Society  in  Boston,  as  the  successor  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Huntington,  Oct.  1,  1856. 

Oct.  13,  1852,  he  was  married  to  Emily  Baldwin  Per- 
kins, daughter  of  Thomas  Clapp  and  Mary  Foote  Perkins, 
of  Hartford,  Conn.,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Lyman  Beecher, 
D.D.  Their  children  are  Ellen  Day,  Arthur,  Charles, 
Edward  Everett,  Philip  Lesley,  and  Herbert ;  the  eldest 
born  in  1855,  the  youngest  in  1866. 

Publications. 

1.  The  Rosary,  Boston,  1848. 

2.  Margaret   Percival  in    America,  in   conjunction  with   his 

sister,  Lucretia  P.  Hale,  1850. 

3.  Sketches  of  Christian  History,  1850. 

4.  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  1855. 

5.  A  Prize  Essay,  "Juvenile  Delinquency,"  Philadelphia,  1855. 

6.  Life  and  Letters  of  Sir  Ralph  Lane,  Arch.  Americana,  vol. 

iv.,  1860. 


APPENDIX.  399 

7.  Ninety  Days'  Worth  of  Europe,  1860. 

8.  Elements  of  Christian  Doctrine  and  its  Development,  in 

Five  Sermons. 

9.  Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Charles  B.  Ferry,  in  Peter- 

borough, N.H. 

10.  The  Christian  Ministry  in  Large  Cities. 

11.  Thirty  Years  of  Boston,  1861. 

12.  The  Future  Civilization  of  the  South,  1862. 

13.  The  Desert  and  the  Promised  Land,  1863. 

14.  The  Man  without  a  Country,  1864. 

15.  A  Sermon  before  the  Western  Conference,  1865. 

16.  Edward  Everett:  "The  Ministry  of  Reconciliation,"  1865. 

17.  The  Public  Duty  of 'a  Private  Citizen,  1865. 

Mr.  Hale  was  the  editor  of  the  Boston  edition  of  Lin- 
gard's  "  History  of  England,"  and  for  four  years  joint- 
editor  with  Rev.  Dr.  Hedge  of  the  "  Christian  Examiner;" 
and  it  would  not  be  easy  to  reckon  up  all  the  occasions  in 
which  he  has  been  called  to  take  a  prominent  part,  —  ad 
otnnia  semper  paratus. 

XIX. 

JOHN  J.  PUTNAM  was  born  in  Chesterfield,  N.H., 
May  21,  1823;  prepared  for  college  at  Kimball  Union 
Academy,  Meriden,  N.H.,  but  did  not  enter  college.  He 
studied  divinity  under  private  instruction,  and  was  ordained 
over  a  society  in  Lebanon,  N.IL,  June  7,  1843,  and  re- 
signed that  office  September,  1845.  His  second  settlement 
was  in  Bolton,  where  he  was  installed  Sept.  2G,  1849;  and 
he  joined  the  Worcester  Association  the  same  month.  He 
resigned  his  place  in  Bolton,  June  6,  1852,  and  was  re- 
installed over  the  First  Congregational  Society  in  Peters- 
ham, July  11,  1852.  That  connection  was  dissolved  Oct. 
7,  1855  ;  and  his  fourth  settlement  was  in  Bridgewater, 
where  he  was  installed  Jan.  16,  185G,  and  where  he  re- 
mained till  June,  1864. 


400  APPENDIX. 

He  was  married,  May  9,  1860,  to  Isabella,  daughter  of 
Dr.  William  Parkhurst,  of  Petersham.  They  have  two 
children,  —  Charles  Converse  and  John  Parkhurst. 

He  is  at  present  general  agent  of  the  New-England 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Boston,  and  lives  in 
Worcester. 

XX. 

AMOS  SMITH  was  born  in  Boston,  Nov.  29,  1816,  and 
was  the  son  of  Amos  and  Catherine  (Langdon)  Smith, 
daughter  of  Timothy  Langdon  (H.C.  17G5).  He  attended 
the  Latin  School,  Boston,  from  18*29  to  1834,  when  he 
entered  Harvard  College,  and  graduated  in  1838.  He 
was  a  private  tutor  at  the  South  one  year,  after  which  he 
entered  the  Divinity  School,  graduating  with  the  class  of 
1842.  He  was  ordained  as  colleague  pastor  with  Rev. 
Francis  Parkman,  D.D.,  over  the  New  North  Church, 
Dec.  7,  1842.  That  connection  was  dissolved  June  7, 
1848  ;  and  he  was  installed  in  Leominster,  as  successor 
of  Rev.  H.  Withington,  Nov.  26  of  the  same  year.  His 
pastorate  in  Leominster  ended  Sept.  2,  1856;  and  he  is  at 
present  pastor  of  a  new  church  in  Belmont. 

He  was  married  in  Boston,  Oct.  25,  1845,  to  Mary  E. 
Williams,  daughter  of  Thomas  Williams,  Esq.,  of  Chelsea, 
and  of  Eliza  (Avery)  Williams,  daughter  of  John  Avery, 
Esq.,  formerly  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth. 

XXI. 

WILLIAM  C.  TEXNEY,  son  of  William  and  Phebe 
'(Wheeler)  Tenney,  was  born  in  Newmarket,  N.H.,  July 
26,  1817.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1838; 
studied  in  the  Divinity  School,  Cambridge,  two  years ; 
was  ordained  over  the  Unitarian  Society  in  Kennebunk, 


Heliographic  Bag.  .Co.  135  West    25*   St.   N.  Y. 


APPENDIX.  401 

Oct.  7,  1845,  where  he  remained  till  March,  1848.  Having 
supplied  the  pulpit  in  Upton  fourteen  months,  he  re- 
ceived a  call  from  the  First  Congregational  Society  in 
Northfield,  where  he  was  installed  Sept.  9,  1849,  where  he 
continued  nine  years.  He  was  re-installed  over  the  Lee- 
street  Church,  Lowell,  Oct.  26,  1859 ;  and  in  October, 
1861,  took  charge  of  the  Unitarian  society  in  West  Marl- 
borough ;  resigned  the  charge  July  1,  1864;  and  assumed 
the  charge  of  the  Unitarian  church  in  Lawrence,  Kansas, 
Oct.  27,  1865. 

His  first  marriage  was  with  Catherine  P.  Clarke,  of 
Auburn,  N.H.,  who  died  in  Northfield,  July  8,  1850, 
leaving  one  child,  —  Isabella  Caroline,  horn  Jan.  6,  1845. 

He  was  again  married,  June  15,  1852,  to  Elizabeth  E. 
Bruce,  of  Grafton,  whose  children,  besides  one  who  died 
/in  infancy,  are  —  William  Edward,  born  Jan.  7,  1859  ;  and 
Elizabeth  Bruce,  born  March  22,  1861.  Two  other  chil- 
dren, by  his  first  wife,  died  in  infancy.  His  daughter 
Isabella  is  an  accomplished  and  successful  teacher. 

XXII. 

GEORGE  M.  BARTOL,  son  of  George  and  Anna  (Given) 
Bartol  was  born  in  Freeport,  Me.  Having  graduated  at 
Brown  University,  in  1842,  he  entered  the  Divinity  School, 
Cambridge,  and  graduated  with  the  class  of  1845.  He 
was  ordained  at  Lancaster,  as  the  immediate  successor  of 
Rev.  Edmund  II.  Sears,  Aug.  4,  1847,  where  he  still  re- 
mains, the  respected  minister  of  the  old  parish  church.  He 
was  married,  June,  1856,  to  Elizabeth  Kimhall  Washburn, 
daughter  of  John  M.  and  Harriet  (Kimball)  Washbuni, 
of  Lancaster,  and  grand-daughter  of  Rev.  Daniel  Kimball, 
formerly  Preceptor  of  Derby  Academy  at  Ilingham,  who 
died  at  an  advanced  age  in  Needliam,  a  few  years  since. 

26 


402  APPENDIX. 

Their   children  are  George,  Anna,  Elizabeth  W.,  John 
M.  W.,  Mary  W. 

Mr.  Bartol  preached  a  discourse  occasioned  by  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Sarah  Thayer,  widow  of  Rev.  Dr.  Thayer,  in 
1857;  which  was  printed. 

XXIII. 

THOMAS  PRENTISS  ALLEX,  second  son  of  Joseph  and 
Lucy  C.  Allen,  was  born  in  Northborough,  July  7,  1822, 
and  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1842.  After  leav- 
ing college,  he  took  charge  of  the  NorthfiVld  Academy, 
Franklin  County,  for  one  year ;  and  then  entered  the 
Divinity  School,  Cambridge,  graduating  with  the  class  of 
1846.  He  was  ordained  Nov.  18,  1846,  over  the  First 
Congregational  Society  in  Sterling,  and  was  admitted  to 
the  Worcester  Association,  Dec.  16  of  the  same  year. 
His  connection  with  the  society  in  Sterling  continued 
till  the  year  1852;  after  which,  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
charge  of  a  large  family  school  for  boys  in  that  place 
until  July,  1855,  when  he  was  invited,  in  conjunction 
with  his  brother,  Edward  A.  H.  Allen,  to  take  charge  of 
the  Friends'  Academy  in  New  Bedford.  In  18G4,  he  re- 
moved to  West  Newton,  where  he  now  resides,  as  Asso- 
ciate Principal,  with  his  cousins  Nathaniel  T.  and  James 
T.  Allen,  of  the  English  and  Classical  School  at  West 
Newton.  He  was  married,  Nov.  17,  1846,  to  Sarah  A. 
Lord,  of  Northfield,  Mass.  Their  children  are  —  Gertrude, 
born  in  Sterling,  Aug.  31,  1847 ;  Otis  Everett,  born  June 
17,  1850;  Annie  Ware,  born  June  14,  1852,  died  March 
17,  1854;  Caroline  Putnam,  born  March  18,  1855,  died 
Aug.  19, 1855;  Helen  Ware,  born  at  New  Bedford,  April 
16,  1858.  Gertrude,  the  oldest  child  of  Rev.  T.  P.  Allen, 
accompanied  her  uncle,  William  F.  Allen,  to  Charleston, 


APPENDIX.  403 

S.C.,  in  the  spring  of  1865,  as  a  teacher  of  a  school  for 
colored  children,  where,  after  a  period  of  about  three 
months,  she  was  seized  with  a  typhoid  fever,  and,  after 
a  week's  sickness,  died  June  10,  1865,  in  the  eighteenth 
year  of  her  age. 

XXIV. 

WILLIAM  G.  BABCOCK,  son  of  Samuel  II.  and  Eliza 
Babcock,  was  born  in  Milton,  June  1,  1820.  He  graduated 
at  Harvard  College  in  1841,  and  at  the  Divinity  School, 
Cambridge,  1844;  was  ordained  at  Providence,  R.I.,  as  an 
evangelist,  April  8,  1846.  After  preaching  as  minister 
at  large  in  that  city  more  than  two  years,  from  August, 
1844,  he  was  dismissed  from  that  charge  March,  1847  ;  and 
in  May,  1849,  he  was  installed  over  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Society  in  Luuenburg,  where  he  continued  a  little 
more  than  six  years.  In  September,  1855,  he  left  Luuen- 
burg. and  was  installed  at  Harvard,  Nov.  18,  1855,  where 
he  remained  one  year,  and  then  became  minister  of  the 
First  Parish  in  South  Xatick,  where  he  remained  till 
the  spring  of  1860.  His  next  removal  was  to  Scituate, 
where  he  was  installed  Sept.  16,  1860.  He  was  married, 
May  27,  1847,  to  Clarissa  Louisa,  daughter  of  Joshua  B. 
and  Clarissa  Clapp.  Their  children  are  Clara  Maria, 
Mary  Elizabeth,  and  Lucy  Frances,  living.  They  have 
buried  two,  —  Harriet  Louisa  and  Charlotte  Augusta. 

Mr.  Babcock  has  published  several  sermons  and  mis- 
cellaneous articles  in  the  periodicals.  He  is  at  present 
employed  as  a  minister  at  large  in  Boston. 

XXV. 

GKORGE  S.  BALL,  son  of  Micah  and  Rachel  (Lincoln) 
Ball,  was  born  in  Leoininster,  May  22,  1H2.'5,  being  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Northborough. 


404  APPENDIX. 

He  was  educated  in  our  common  schools,  and  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Meadville  Theological  School,  of  the  class  of 
1847.  He  was  ordained  as  minister  of  the  Unitarian 
society  in  Ware,  Oct.  13  of  the  same  year,  where  he 
remained  till  the  close  of  the  year  1849.  In  January, 
1850,  he  was  installed  over  the  Unitarian  society  in 
Upton,  and  resigned  the  office  November,  1854.  After 
a  few  months'  service  in  the  employment  of  the  American 
Unitarian  Association,  he  supplied  the  pulpit  of  the  First 
Parish  in  Plymouth,  as  associate  pastor  with  Rev.  Dr. 
Kendall,  for  one  year ;  commencing  his  labors  there  April 
1,  1855.  In  April,  1856,  he  was  welcomed  back  to  his 
former  charge  in  Upton,  where  he  still  remains. 

He  represented  Upton  and  Northbridge  in  the  Hou?e 
of  Representatives,  to  which  office  he  was  chosen  in  1861 ; 
resigning  his  place  to  serve  in  the  army  as  chaplain  of  the 
Twenty-first  Regiment,  a  regiment  from  Worcester  County, 
trnder  Colonel  Morse,  which  fought  their  first  battle  with 
Burnside  at  Roanoke  Island,  under  Colonel  Maggi,  in 
which  Mr.  Ball  rendered  important  service  in  the  care 
of  the  wounded,  of  which  honorable  mention  is  made  by 
Colonel  Maggi,  in  his  report  to  Governor  Andrew.  His 
services  in  other  battles  are  also  acknowledged  in  the  re- 
ports of  other  officers.  After  his  return,  he  WMS  re-elected 
to  the  Legislature  for  the  years  1863  and  1864,  in  the 
former  of  which  he  was  chaplain  of  the  House ;  and,  in 
1865,  he  was  chosen  as  a  member  of  the  Senate,  which 
office  he  has  held  for  two  consecutive  terms.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Convention  for  revising  the  Consti- 
tution in  1852. 

Mr.  Ball  was  married,  June  18,  1848,  to  H.  B.  Nourse, 
daughter  of  Caleb  and  Orissa  (Holman)  Nourse,  of  Bolton. 
Their  children  are  six,  —  Clinton  D.,  Susan  A.,  Lydia  M., 
George  W.,  Elizabeth  F.,  and  Walter  Seaver. 


APPENDIX.  405 


XXVI. 

HORATIO  STEBBINS,  son  of  Calvin  and  Amelia  (Adams) 
Stebbins,  was  born  in  South  Wilbraham,  Aug.  8,  1821. 
He  was  fitted  for  college  at  Exeter  Academy,  and  gradu- 
ated at  Harvard  College  in  1848,  and  at  the  Divinity 
School  in  1851.  Nov.  5  of  the  same  year,  he  was  or- 
dained at  Fitchburg,  and  was  dismissed,  at  his  request, 
Jan.  1,  1855  ;  being  called  to  take  charge  of  the  First 
Congregational  Society  in  Portland,  as  the  successor  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Nichols,  over  which  he  was  installed  Jan.  29,  1855. 

In  1864,  he  accepted  an  invitation  to  take  charge 
of  the  Unitarian  society  in  San  Francisco,  as  successor  of 
the  lamented  Starr  King ;  which  important  post  he  still 
occupies. 

He  was  married  in  Northborough,  June  3,  1851,  to 
Mary  Ann,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Bowman) 
Fisher,  of  that  place.  Their  children  are  Mary  Louisa, 
Annie,  and  Roderick.  Annie  is  not  living. 

XXVII. 

THOMAS  T.  STONE,  son  of  Solomon  and  Ilepzibah 
(Treadwell)  Stone,  was  born  in  Waterford,  Me.,  Feb.  9, 
1801.  He  graduated  at  Bowdoin  College  in  1820,  and 
was  ordained  in  Andover,  Me.,  Sept.  8,  1824,  at  the  early 
age  of  twenty-three.  lie  was  installed  at  East  Mac-bins 
in  1833,  and  became  the  minister  of  the  First  Church  in 
Salem,  July  12,  184G;  which  office  he  filled  till  Feb.  22, 
1852.  He  commenced  his  lalxjrs  as  minister  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church  and  Society  in  Bnlton,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1852,  and  took  leave  of  that  parish  in  the  autumn  of 
1800.  In  1830  and  1831,  he  was  Principal  of  Bridgeton 
Academy,  Cumberland  County,  Me.,  at  the  same  time 


406 


APPENDIX. 


preaching  in  the  Academy  Hall.  He  became  a  member 
of  the  Worcester  Association,  Jan.  19,  1853;  and,  during 
the  time  of  his  connection  with  it,  was  an  active  and 
efficient  member.  He  is  at  present  supplying  the  pul- 
pit of  the  Unitarian  society,  Brookline,  Conn.  Jan.  13, 
1825,  he  was  married  to  Laura,  daughter  of  Silvanus  and 
Mary  (Merrill)  Poor,  of  Andover,  Me. 

Their  children  are  —  Thomas  Treadwell,  a  farmer  in 
Danvers;  Henry,  a  graduate  of  the  Cambridge  Divinity 
School  of  1860 ;  Lincoln  Ripley,  a  physician  in  Salem, 
Mass. ;  Alfred,  an  architect,  Providence,  R.I. ;  Hepzibah, 
George  Herbert,  William,  Martha  Elizabeth.  Four  other 
children  died  in  infancy. 

Publications, 

1.  A  Volume  of  Sermons  on  War,  1829. 

2.  Sketches  of  Oxford  County,  Me.,  1830. 

3.  Volume  of  Sermons,  1 854. 

4.  The  Rod  and  the  Staff,  1856. 

Discourses  and  Addresses. 

1.  Address  on  Temperance,  1829. 

2.  Lecture  on  History,  1831. 

3.  Sermon  at  the  Ordination  of  Rev.  Eber  Child,  Calais,  1835. 

4.  Sermon  before  the   Maine  Missionary  Society,  North   Yar- 

mouth, 1837. 

5.  Sermon  on  Justification,  1847. 

6.  Sermon   to  the   Senior  Class,  Divinity  School,  Cambridge, 

1856. 

7.  Address  before  the  Female  Antislavery  Society,  Salem,  1852. 

8.  Sermon  on  the  Murder  of  Lovejoy  at  Alton,  111.,  1838. 

Besides  the  above,  Mr.  Stone  has  furnished  many 
articles  for  the  periodicals  of  the  day ;  as  the  "  Quarterly 
Review,"  "  Biblical  Repository,"  u  Literary  and  Theo- 
logical Review,"  "  The  Dial,"  "  The  Monthly  Religious 
Magazine,"  besides  two  articles  for  the  ''  Liberty  Bell." 


APPENDIX.  407 


XXVIII. 

LEONARD  JARVIS  LIVERMORE,  son  of  Solomon  K. 
Livermore,  Esq.  (H.C.  1802),  and  Abigail  Adkins  (Jar- 
vis)  Livermore,  was  born  in  Milford,  N.H.,  Dec.  8,  1822. 
He  is  grandson  of  Rev.  Jonathan  Livermore  (H.C.  1760), 
the  first  minister  of  Wilion,  N.H.,  and  great-grandson  of 
Deacon  Jonathan  Livermore,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Northborough,  whose  life  extended  over  one  complete  cen- 
tury, having  been  born  Aug.  1C,  1700,  and  having  lived 
till  April  31,  1801.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  of  the 
class  of  1842,  and  of  the  Cambridge  Divinity  School  of 
1846.  He  was  ordained  over  a  church  in  East  Boston, 
March  24,  1847.  In  April,  1851,  he  removed  to  Clinton, 
where  he  continued  to  officiate  as  pastor  of  the  Unitarian 
church  till  May  1,  18.">7;  and,  on  the  1st  of  the  following 
October,  he  became  minister  of  the  old  Congregational 
church  in  Lexington,  where  he  remained  till  18(56,  when, 
at  his  request,  the  connection  was  dissolved.  lie  has 
recently  accepted  an  invitation  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  American  Unitarian  Society, 
caused  by  the  death  of  John  A.  Andrew  ;  also  to  take 
charge  of  the  Unitarian  society  in  Danvers  for  one  year. 
His  present  residence  is  Cambridge. 

He  was  married,  March  18,  1847,  to  Mary  Ann  C.  Per- 
kins, of  Groton,  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Mary  (Gilbert) 
Perkins.  Their  children  are  Allina  Mary,  Clara  Perkins, 
Joseph  Perkins,  Henry  Jarvis. 

Mr.  Livermore  has  contributed  articles  for  the  periodi- 
cals, but  lias,  I  believe,  published  nothing  under  his  own 
name. 


408  APPENDIX. 


XXIX. 

THOMAS  W.  BROWN  was  born  in  Portsmouth,  N.H., 
Aug.  15,  1829,  and  graduated  at  the  Divinity  School, 
Cambridge,  in  1852.  He  received  ordination  at  Ports- 
mouth, Dec.  24,  1852,  as  minister  of  the  Unitarian  church 
in  Trenton,  N.Y.,  and  remained  in  that  connection  one 
year ;  and  Feb.  2,  1854,  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
First  Parish  in  Grafton,  where  he  remained  two  years ; 
and,  shortly  after  his  dismission,  he  became  minister  of  the 
Congregational  society  in  Brewster.  on  Cape  Cod.  Since 
1854,  he  has  been  the  minister  of  the  Unitarian  society  in 
Sandwich. 

He  was  married,  Jan.  5,  1853,  to  Annie  M.,  daughter 
of  John  H.  Bartlett,  of  Portsmouth. 

XXX. 

WILLIAM  P.  TILDEN,  son  of  Luther  'and  Philena 
(Brooks)  Tilden,  was  born  in  Scituate,  May  9,  1811.  He 
"  graduated  "  at  the  district  school,  in  his  native  town,  at 
about  the  age  of  seventeen  ;  then  served  an  apprenticeship 
at  ship-building,  and  worked  at  the  business  till  about 
the  age  of  twenty-five.  By  the  advice  of  Rev.  Samuel  J. 
May,  now  of  Syracuse,  N.Y.,  and  under  his  direction,  he 
prepared  himself  for  the  ministry,  keeping  school  during 
the  winter  months ;  and  at  length,  at  the  mature  age  of 
thirty,  received  from  the  Old  Colony  Association  license 
to  preach.  He  was  ordained  at  Newton  Corner,  April  21, 
1841  ;  and,  in  the  summer  of  1844,  went,  in  poor  health, 
to  take  charge  of  the  Unitarian  church  in  Concord,  N.H., 
where  he  remained  about  three  years.  He  then  supplied, 
for  one  ye.ar,  the  pulpit  of  Rev.  John  Parkman,  of  Dover, 
N.H.,  who  was  then  travelling  in  Europe ;  and,  in  the 


APPENDIX.  409 

autumn  of  1848,  he  went  to  Walpole,  N.H.,  and  remained 
minister  of  the  Congregational  society  in  that  place  nearly 
seven  years.  At  length,  June  3,  1855,  he  was  installed 
over  the  First  Parish  in  Fitchburg,  and  afterwards  became 
the  minister  of  the  church  on  Church  Green,  in  Boston,  as 
successor  to  the  late  Rev.  Alexander  Young,  D.D.  He  is 
at  present  minister  of  a  Free  Church  in  the  south  part  of 
Boston. 

He  was  married  in  Scituate,  in  1834,  to  Mary  J.  Foster, 
daughter  of  Timothy  and  Hannah  (Clapp)  Foster.  Their 
children  are  Laura,  Joseph,  William  Phillips,  and  George 
Thomas. 

Publications. 

1.  Sermon  on  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  1846. 

2.  A  Discourse  on  the  Death  of  Lieutenant  Edward  Eastman 

of  the  United-States  Army,  who  died  at  Camargo,  1846. 

3.  A  New  Year's  Discourse  for  1847. 

During  his  ministry  in  Fitchburg,  he  published  a  small 
volume  entitled  4' The  Bridal  Wreath;"  also  a  sermon  on 
temperance. 

Besides  the  above,  he  published  a  sermon  in  the  "  Re- 
ligious Magazine,"  an<!  one  in  the  "  Keene  Sentinel,"  and 
has  made  many  valuable  communications  to  our  periodi- 
cals. 

XXXI. 

JAMES  TIITRSTOX  was  born  in  Newmarket,  N.IL,  Dec. 
11,  180G;  fitted  for  college  at  Phillips  Academy,  Kxeter, 
under  Dr.  Abbott;  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1829; 
was  employed  as  a  teacher  in  the  Knglish  High  School, 
Boston,  three  years;  graduated  at  the  Divinity  School, 
Cambridge,  1835.  After  leaving  the  school,  he  was  sent 
as  a  missionary  to  the  West  for  one  year  ;  and  was  ordained 


410  APPENDIX. 

over  the  Unitarian  society  in  Windsor,  Vt.,  in  1 838.  After 
leavins  that  post,  he  preached  in  several  places,  and  at 
length,  in  1844,  took  charge  of  the  First  Congregational 
Society  in  Billerica,  where  he  continued  till  1850.  He 
then  supplied  the  pulpit  in  South  Natick  two  years,  when, 
in  1853,  he  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Allen-street 
Church,  in  Cambridge.  He  resigned  that  charge  the  fol- 
lowing year,  on  account  of  severe  illness;  and,  in  1855, 
entered  on  an  engagement  to  supply  the  pulpit  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church  in  Lunenburg,  where  he  remained 
till  1857. 

Mr.  Thurston  was  married  in  Charlestown,  Mass.,  Sept. 
11,  1844,  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  William  Austin,  Esq. 
Their  children  are  James  Peabody,  William  Austin,  Eliza- 
beth Peabody,  Charles  Abbott,  and  Charlotte  Williams. 


XXXII. 

TROWBRIDGE  B.  FORBUSH,  son  of  Lowell  and  Eliza- 
beth (Stone)  Forbush,  was  born  in  \\restborough,  Jan.  15, 
1832.  He  pursued  a  course  of  classical  studies,  partly 
under  the  direction  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Gage,  preparatory 
to  his  entering  the  Theological  School  at  Meadville,  Penn., 
where  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1856.  He  was 
ordained,  Jan.  1,  1857,  associate  pastor  of  the  First  Congre- 
gational Society  of  Northborough,  with  Rev.  Dr.  Allen. 
Having  resigned  the  pastorate,  July  1,  1863,  he  at  once 
took  charge  of  the  Unitarian  society  in  West  Roxbury, 
which  office  he  still  retains.  He  is  at  present  Secretary 
of  the  New-England  Emigrant-aid  Company. 

He  was  married  to  Rachel  L.  Byard,  of  Meadville, 
June  29,  1856.  Their  children  are  Harry  Robinson  and 
William  Perry. 


APPENDIX.  411 


XXXIII. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  KNAPP,  sou  of  Abiathar  and  Nancy 
Knapp,  was  born  in  Norton,  Mass.,  Sept.  19,  1811.  He 
obtained  his  education  by  himself,  and  in  our  common 
schools;  was  ordained  Sept.  28,  1833;  and  settled  in  Dan- 
vera,  April,  1835,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  then 
preached  two  years  in  Chelsea,  at  Winnisimmet  Village. 
He  began  to  preach  at  Nantucket,  May,  1844,  where  he 
remained  six  years,  till  1850.  He  then  preached  two 
years  for  the  Unitarian  sot-iety  in  West  Newton  ;  and 
Feb.  14,  1856,  was  in-tailed  as  minister  of  the  First  Con- 
gregational Society  in  Sterling.  His  connection  with  that 
society  terminated  May,  1858.  He  now  (1867)  resides 
at  Cambridgeport. 

Mr.  Kuapp  was  married,  Sept.  28,  1833,  to  Emily 
Thompson,  daughter  of  Timothy  and  Sarah  Thompson,  of 
Charlestown,  Mass.  Their  children  are  —  Emma  T.,  mar- 
ried to  George  A.  Stephenson,  of  West  Newton  ;  Henry 
C. ;  Marianne,  married  William  A.  P.  Willard,  of  Sterling ; 
Arthur  M. ;  Timothy  T. ;  Abby  H. ;  and  Eugene  R. 
Arthur  M.  Knapp  has  just  accepted  a  call  to  take  charge 
of  the  church  in  Providence,  lately  under  the  care  of  Rev. 
E.  B.  Hall,  D.D. 

Mr.  Knapp  has  published  sermons  and  essays  in  various 
reviews  and  magazines. 


XXXIV. 

GKOUGE  GAUONRR  WITIIIXGTOV,  son  of  George  R. 
M.  Wellington,  Esq.,  and  Laurinda.  daughter  of  General 
Gardner,  of  Bolton,  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Mass.,  and  is 
a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Vermont,  of  the  das*  of 
1825.  He  graduated  at  the  Meadville  Theological  School 


412  APPENDIX. 

in  1854,  and  was  ordained  at  Hillsborough,  111.,  October, 
1855,  where  he  remained  as  pastor  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Society  till  July,  1857.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
Worcester  Association  in  1858,  while  residing  wiih  his 
parents  in  Lancaster.  June  19,  1858,  he  became  pastor 
of  the  First  Congregational  Society  in  Easton,  where  he 
still  resides,  and  where  he  was  married,  Jan.  22,  1860,  to 
Elleii  J.,  daughter  of  Hon.  Elijah  Howard,  of  Easton. 

XXXV. 

STEPHEN  BARKER,  son  of  Henry  and  Lois  Barker,  was 
born  in  Andover,  Mass.,  January,  1829  ;  graduated  from 
the  Divinity  Si-hool,  Cambridge,  in  1856;  and  was  or- 
dained as  minister  of  the  First  Congregational  Society  in 
Leominster,  Sept.  2,  1857.  He  resigned  his  office  June  1, 
1860.  He  was  married,  Sept.  14,  1858,  to  Louisa  Jane, 
daughter  of  William  and  Hannah  Whiting,  of  Concord, 
Mass.  Mr.  Barker  served  as  chaplain  of  the  Fourteenth 
Regiment  of  Massachusetts  Volunteers  in  the  late  re- 
bellion. He  has,  I  believe,  left  the  profession,  and  is  at 
present  engaged  in  business  in  the  State  of  Vermont. 

XXXVI. 

WILLIAM  G.  SCANDLIN  was  born  in  Portsmouth,  Eng- 
land, Feb.  16,  1828.  He  left  home  at  the  early  age  of 
seven  years  and  a  half;  previous  to  which  time  he  had 
attended  a  primary  school  in  that  place.  "  The  balance  of 
my  education,"  he  writes,  "I  obtained  from  eleven  years' 
experience  on  the  ocean,  where  I  came  in  contact  with 
the  customs  of  the  different  nations  of  the  world ;  and,  in  the 
language  of  the  Psalmist,  became  familiar  with  the  works 
and  wonders  of  the  Lord  on  the  deep."  Before  he  came 


APPENDIX.  413 

of  age.  he  landed  on  our  shores,  made  a  voyage  to  the 
West  Indies,  and,  on  his  return  to  Boston,  found  a  tempo- 
rary home  for  himself,  and  as  many  of  his  comrades  as  he 
could  persuade  to  join  him,  in  the  Sailors'  Home.  He 
had,  by  this  time,  become  deeply  interested  in  religion  ; 
and  lie  now  formed  the  purpose  to  devote  himself  to  the 
Christian  ministry.  He  entered  the  Meadville  School  in 
1850,  and  graduated  in  1854.  In  November  of  the  same 
year,  he  commenced  the  Hanover-street  Mission,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Boston  Fraternity  of  Churches ;  and 
was  ordained  as  a  minister  at  large  at  the  Hollis-street 
Church,  Jan.  14,  1855,  Dr.  Gannett  preaching  the  sermon 
on  the  occa-ion.  In  this  service  he  continued  till  the  end 
of  May,  1858.  The  duties  of  this  office  proving  too 
arduous  for  his  health,  and  having  received  an  invitation 
to  settle  over  the  First  Congregational  Church  in  Grafton, 
he  removed  to  that  place,  where  he  was  installed  June  23, 
1858,  and  where  he  still  remains. 

,  At  the  beginning  of  the  late  war,  he  offered  his  ser- 
vices to  Governor  Andrew,  and  was  appointed  chaplain 
of  the  Fifteenth  Regiment  of  Massachusetts  Volunteers  ;  at 
the  same  time  resigning  his  charge  of  the  society  in  Graf- 
ton.  His  resignation  was  not  accepted  ;  but  his  people 
gave  him  leave  of  absence  for  twelve  months,  thinking,  as 
we  all  did,  that  twelve  months  would  suffice  for  the  over- 
throw of  the  rebellion.  At  the  expiration  of  his  leave  of 
absence,  he  returned  to  his  parish ;  soon  after  which,  his 
church  was  destroyed  by  h're. 

After  making  arrangements  for  erecting  a  new  building, 
at  the  solicitation  of  the  American  Unitarian  Association, 
he  obtained  another  leave  of  absence  for  three  months,  to 
go* on  a  missionary  expedition  to  the  army;  and,  to  facili- 
tate his  movements,  he  became  a  member  of  the  United- 
States  Sanitary  Commission.  In  this  service,  while  engaged 


414  APPENDIX. 

in  conveying  food  and  comforts  to  the  sick  and  wounded  at 
Gettysburg,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  Stewart's  cavalry, 
and,  with  many  others,  conveyed  to  Richmond,  and  confined 
nearly  three  months  in  Libby  Prison,  and  subsequently  in 
Castle  Thunder.  "I  look  upon  the  opportunities,"  he 
writes,  "opened  to  me  during  my  imprisonment,  as  the 
richest  of  my  experience." 

The  following  testimonial  is  from  Dr.  McDonald,  one 
of  his  fellow-prisoners,  published  in  the  "  Sanitary  Com- 
mission Bulletin:"  —  "Mr.  Scandlin  proved  to  be  all,  and 
more  than  all,  he  professed.  Constantly  engaged  in  some 
good  work,  cheerful  under  the  most  adverse  circumstances, 
ever  ready  to  render  aid  and  comfort  to  all  in  distress,  he 
has  become  endeared,  not  only  to  the  agent  of  the  Com- 
mission, with  whom  he  has  been  so  long  associated,  but  to 
most  of  the  officers  and  men  whom  chance  and  the  fortunes 
•of  war  have  placed  in  his  path.  He  sought  out  the  sick 
and  inquiring,  gave  them  freely,  cheerfully,  temporal  and 
spiritual  comfort,  at  all  times  and  in  all  seasons.  He  has 
proved  himself  to  be  an  honest,  faithful  worker,  and  a 
TRUE  man,  — '  the  noblest  work  of  God.'  " 

Mr.  Scandlin  was  married,  Dec.  13,  1853,  to  C.  S. 
Adrain,  who  lived  only  till  the  following  April.  On  the 
24th  of  April,  1855,  he  married  Mrs.  Eliza  M.  Sprague 
at  Eastport,  Me.  Their  children  are  Willie  Ira,  Eliza- 
beth Frances,  Fanny  Maria,  and  John  Winthrop.  His 
second  wife  had,  by  her  former  husband,  one  son,  —  Horace 
Bacon  Sprague. 

XXXVII. 

FARRINGTON  MC!NTIRE  became  a  member  of  the  "Wor- 
cester Association,  Aug.  17,  i858,  while  living  on  his  fafm 
in  Grafton,  at  the  head  of  a  family  school.  He  was  born 
in  Fitchburg,  June  29,  1819,  and  graduated  at  Harvard 


APPENDIX.  415 

College  in  1843,  and  at  the  Divinity  School  in  1846.  In 
June,  1847,  he  was  ordained  over  the  Unitarian  society  in 
Brattleborough,  Vt.,  where  he  remained  one  year.  July  1, 
1849,  he  sailed  from  New  York  for  California,  where,  more 
fortunate  than  many  adventurers,  he  recovered  his  health, 
and  accumulated  a  handsome  property.  Returning  after 
a  residence  of  a  year  and  a  half,  he  was  married,  on 
the  23d  of  April,  1851,  to  Caroline  C.  Frost,  of  Kenne- 
bunk,  Me.,  with  whom  he  lived  a  little  less  than  three 
years. 

On  the  9th  of  February,  1857,  he  was  married  to  his 
second  wife,  Caroline  Fisher,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Orricy 
(Hills)  Fisher,  of  Lancaster,  Mass. 


XXXVIII. 

RUSH  R.  SHIPPEN,  son  of  Henry  Shippen,  was  born 
at  Meadville,  Penn.,  Jan.  18,  1828.  He  is  of  English 
descent,  of  a  family  Episcopal  and  Quaker,  long  resident 
in  Pennsylvania.  His  mother  was  Elizabeth  W.  Evans, 
of  Welsh  and  English  descent.  Mr.  Shippen  entered  as 
student  of  Alleghany  College  (Methodist),  Meadville, 
where  he  remained  till  the  middle  of  his  senior  year 
(1813),  when  the  college  suspended  operations  for  a  year. 
He  then  taught  a  district  school  for  nine  months,  after 
which  he  entered  the  Meadville  Theological  School,  then 
just  going  into  operation  under  President  Stebbins  and 
Professor  Huidekoper.  lie  was  at  this  time  only  sixteen 
years  old  ;  but  it  was  thought  to  be  the  best  school  to 
which  he  could  have  access.  Having  remained  in  the 
school  three  years,  he  spent  one  year  in  Nashville,  Tenn., 
as  a  teacher,  and  then  re-entered  the  Meadville  School, 
where  he  <rraduated  in  1849.  After  three  or  four  months 


416  APPENDIX. 

spent  in  New  England  in  itinerant  preaching,  lie  accepted 
an  invitation  to  tak<«  charge  of  the  First  Unitarian  Church 
in  Chicago,  111.;  and,  on  his  wny,  was  ordained  as  an 
evangelist  at  Meadville,  —  President  Stebbins  preaching 
the  sermon,  and  Professors  Folsom  and  Huidekoper  as- 
sisting. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  six  months  for  which  he  was 
engaged,  he  accepted  an  invitation  for. permanent  settle- 
ment, and  continued  his  labors  without  installation.  He 
resigned  his  charge  July  1,  1857,  and,  after  a  four  months' 
vacation,  spent  a  year  in  Meadville,  preaching  most  of 
the  time.  He  then  returned  to  New  England ;  and  at  the 
invitation  of  the  Church  of  the  Unity,  Worcester,  was 
installed  their  pastor,  Dec.  22,  1858,  which  office  he  still 
holds  and  adorns. 

Mr.  Shippen  was  married,  Oct.  10,  1855,  to  Zoviah 
Rodman,  who  was  born  in  Egremont,  Mass.,  but  who 
from  childhood  had  resided  in  New  York,  near  Utica. 
Their  children  are  Sarah,  Henry,  Marion  (died  Oct.  16, 
1864),  and  Eugene. 

XXXIX. 

E.  B.  FAIRCHILD,  son  of  Curtis  and  Miranda  Fairchild, 
was  born  in  Sunderland,  Sept.  17,  1835.  He  graduated 
at  Meadville  Theological  School  in  1859,  and  was  or- 
dained as  minister  of  the  First  Parish  in  Sterling,  Jan.  19, 
1860. 

He  was  married  in  Meadville,  December,  1859,  to  Maria 
H.  Smith,  of  that  place.  He  left  Sterling  near  the  begin- 
ning of  the  great  Rebellion,  and  served  for  a  time  as 
chaplain  in  the  army,  and  in  other  capacities.  He  is  now 
pastor  of  a  church  gathered  mostly  under  his  own  minis- 
trations, in  Webster,  Mass. 


APPENDIX.  417 


XL. 

CALEB  B.  JOSSELYN,  son  of  David  and  Mary  Josselyn, 
was  born  in  Pembroke,  March  4,  1831.  At  the  age  of 
eleven,  he  joined  the  Episcopal  Church  (St.  Andrew's),  of 
Hanover.  "  My  change  to  Liberal  sentiments,"  he  writes, 
"  was  gradual,  and  probably  the  work  of  natural  develop- 
ment." He  pursued  a  select  course  of  study  at  Brown 
University,  R.I.,  in  1853 ;  thence  went  to  Meadville  Theo- 
logical School,  where  he  graduated  in  1858.  He  preached 
six  months  at  Austinburg,  Ohio,  and  was  settled  in  Lunen- 
burg,  October,  1859.  On  account  of  failure  of  his  health, 
he  soon  took  a  dismission,  and  engaged  in  other  pursuits, 
occasionally  supplying  vacant  pulpits.  At  present  he  lives 
in  Maiden. 

XLI. 

ELI  FAT  was  born  in  Fenner,  Madison  County,  N.Y., 
Nov.  8,  1822,  and  was  ordained  as  a  minister  of  the  Chris- 
tian denomination  in  Lyndonville,  Orleans  County,  N.Y., 
Oct.  23,  1844.  His  installation  over  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Society  in  Leominster  took  place  Jan.  1,  1861.  He 
is  at  present  the  minister  of  the  Unitarian  church  in  Wo- 
burn. 

XLII. 

GILBERT  CUMMINGS,  son  of  Gilbert  and  Margaret  Jane 
Cummings,  was  born  in  Boston,  Sept.  15,  1825.  When 
nearly  thirty  years  of  age,  he  relinquished  the  business  in 
which  he  was  engiiged,  entered  the  Theological  School 
in  Meadville,  where  he  graduated  in  1859.  He  was  or- 
dained as  minister  of  the  Unitarian  society  in  Austiuburg, 
Ohio,  Oct.  20  of  that  year,  and  was  installed  over  the 
Unitarian  church  in  Westborough,  Jan.  8,  1860.  Here 

27 


418  APPENDIX. 

he  remained  till  the  breaking-out  of  the  rebellion,  when 
he  received  an  appointment  as  chaplain  of  a  regiment. 
Having  served  in  this  capacity  for  some  time,  he  returned, 
and  engaged  in  other  business.  He  .afterwards  removed 
to  Grafton,  having  been  appointed  as  teller  in  the  Grafton 
Bank,  where  he  still  remains. 

XLIII. 

NATHANIEL  OTIS  CHAFFEE,  son  of  Nathaniel  and 
Tabitha  Chaffee,  was  born  in  South  Wilbraham,  Jan.  28, 
1812.  He  received  his  theological  education  at  Meadville, 
and  was  ordained  at  Montague,  Jan.  10,  1849.  He  was 
married,  July  1,  1841,  in  Sutton,  to  Martha  P.  McKnight. 
He  lives  at  present  in  West  Bridgewater.  He  became  a 
member  of  the  Worcester  Association  while  supplying  the 
pulpit  in  Bolton.  I 

XLIV. 

HENRY  H.  BARBER,  son  of  Deacon  Hervey  and  Han- 
nah Barber,  was  born  in  Warwick,  Dec.  30,  1835.  He 
received  his  theological  education  at  Meadville,  where  he 
graduated  in  1861 ;  and,  Oct.  24  of  the  same  year,  he  was 
ordained  over  the  First  Parish  in  Harvard.  In  1867,  he 
was  installed  pastor  of  the  Unitarian  church  in  Somerville. 
He  was  married  in  Deerfield,  June  30,  1857,  to  Eliza  H. 
Pratt,  of  that  place. 

XLV. 

EDWIN  C.  L.  BROWNE,  son  of  Erastus  and  Anna 
Browne,  was  born  at  East  Cambridge,  April  22,  1833. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  Meadville,  of  the  class  of  1861,  and 
was  ordained  over  the  First  Congregational  Church  in 


APPENDIX.  419 

Bolton,  April  22,  1863.  He  was  married,  Jan.  1,  1862, 
to  Elizabeth  Lincoln,  daughter  of  David  P.  and  Susan  L. 
Howe,  of  Hingham. 

XLVI. 

JOSEPH  HENRY  ALLEN,  eldest  son  of  Joseph  and  Lucy 
C.  Allen,  born  in  Northborough,  Aug.  21,  1820  ;  graduated 
at  Harvard  College  in  1840,  and  from  the  Divinity  School, 
Cambridge,  in  1843  ;  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Jamaica  Plain,  Oct.  18, 1843,  the  venerable  John  Quincy 
Adams  being  one  of  the  ordaining  council ;  became  min- 
ister of  the  Unitarian  church  in  Washington,  D.C.,  in 
October,  1847,  and  of  the  Independent  Congregational 
Society  in  Bangor,  Me.,  October,  1850.  His  connection 
with  that -church  was  dissolved,  May,  1857,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  associated  in  the  editorial  charge  of  the 
"  Christian  Examiner."  Besides  the  charge  of  the  "  Chris- 
tian Examiner,"  he  has  supplied  vacant  pulpits;  among 
others,  those  at  West  Newton,  from  1858  to  1860,  and  at 
Northborough,  from  1864  to  1866. 

He  was  married,  May  22,  1845,  to  Anna  Minot  Weld, 
of  Jamaica  Plain,  West  Roxbury.  Their  children  are 
Lucy  Clarke,  Margaret  Weld  (died  Aug.  17,  1861),  Mary 
Ware,  Richard  Minot,  Gardner  Weld,  and  Russell  Car- 
penter. Their  present  home  is  in  Cambridge. 

Publications. 

1.  Ten  Discourses  on  Orthodoxy,  1840  (pp.  227). 

2.  Memoir  of  Hiram  Withington,  1849  (pp.  190). 

3.  Manual  of  Devotions  tor  Families  and  Sunday  Schools,  1852 

(pp.  1G3). 

4.  Hebrew  Men  and  Times,  from  the  Patriarchs  to  the  Messiah, 

1861  (pp.  435). 


420  APPENDIX. 

Also,  twelve  occasional  sermons,  —  including  one  preached 
in  Washington,  on  the  death  of  Senator  Fairfield,  and  one  on  the 
day  following  the  funeral  of  John  Quincy  Adams ;  two  preached 
in  Bangor,  December,  1850,  published  in  a  pamphlet,  entitled 
"  The  Great  Controversy  of  States  and  People ;  "  and  one  en- 
titled "A  Reign  of  Terror,"  preached  in  June,  1856,  during  the 
troubles  in  Kansas :  and  many  articles  in  the  "  Christian  Exam- 
iner,"—  among  them,  the  following :  Comte's  Positive  Philosophy, 
March,  1851 ;  Prospects  of  American  Slavery,  September,  1854; 
Comte's  Religion  of  Humanity,  July,  1857  ;  Latin  Christianity, 
January,  1862;  The  Reformation  and  its  Results,  March,  1862; 
Africans  in  America  and  their  new  Guardians,  July,  1862  ;  Our 
War  Policy,  and  how  it  deals  with  Slavery,  September,  1862; 
The  Peace  Policy,  How  it  is  Waged  and  What  it  Means,  January, 
1863;  The  New  Homeric  Question,  May,  1863  ;  Conditions  of 
Belief,  July,  1863 ;  A  Month  of  Victory  and  its  Results,  Sep- 
tember, 1863  ;  Weiss's  Life  of  Theodore  Parker,  January,  1864 ; 
Federalism  and  its  Present  Tasks,  March,  1 864 ;  Dftctrine  and 
Theory  of  Inspiration  (read  before  the  Worcester  Associa- 
tion), November,  1864 ;  The  Eighth  of  November,  January,  1865; 
The  Fourth  of  March,  March,  1865 ;  The  Nation's  Triumph  and 
its  Sacrifice,  May,  1865;  The  New  Nation,  July,  1865;  State 
Crimes  and  their  Penalty,  September,  1865  ;  The  President's  Re- 
construction, November,  1865 ;  More  Open  Questions,  March, 
1866  ;  Some  Conditions  of  the  Modern  Ministry,  January,  1867  ; 
The  Cambridge  Divinity  School,  September,  1867  ;  also,  a  large 
proportion  of  the  articles  in  the  "  Review  of  Current  Literature  " 
since  July,  1857. 

XLVIL 

SAMUEL  W.  MCDANIEL,  son  of  Joseph  A.  and  Han- 
nah (Boyer)  McDaniel,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Nov.  18, 
1833.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Phila- 
delphia, prepared  for  the  ministry  under  the  care  of  his 
pastor,  Rev.  John  G*  Wilson,  Ex-President  of  the  Maryland 
Literary  Institute,  and  pastor  of  the  First  Independent 


APPENDIX.  421 

Christian  Church  in  Philadelphia.  Having  been  licensed 
as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  he  was  ordained  .Dec.  1,  1856, 
and  preached  in  Luzerne  County,  Penn.,  where  he  organ- 
ized a  Liberal  church,  serving  it  as  pastor  till  Oct.  15, 1858. 
He  then  removed  to  Lewisburg,  Penn.,  and  became  pastor 
of  the  Christian  church  in  that  town,  and  also  of  the  Uni- 
tarian society  in  Northumberland,  founded  by  the  eminent 
Dr.  Joseph  Priestley.  He  assumed  the  charge  of  the  Union 
society  in  Feltouville  (now  Hudson),  June  5,  18G2,  where 
he  remained  two  years.  In  1864,  he  took  charge  of  the 
Unitarian  society  in  Neponset;  and,  in  1866,  was  installed 
pastor  of  the  First  Church  in  Brighton,  Mass.  He  was 
married,  in  1854,  to  Elizabeth  Kesbaugh,  of  Philadelphia, 
who  died  about  five  months  after  their  marriage.  In  1856. 
he  was  married  again  to  Anna  M.  Brunner,  of  Bucks 
County,  Penn.  At  the  breaking-out  of  the  rebellion,  he 
assisted  in  forming  a  company  of  militia  for  the  protection 
of  the  capital,  was  elected  captain,  and  accompanied.it  to 
the  seat  of  war.  He  was  subsequently  chosen  chaplain  of 
the  regiment.  His  second  wife  died  a  few  months  since. 

XLVIII. 

ALPHEUS  S.  .NICKERSON,  son  of  Captain  Theophilu.* 
and  Mary  (Sanford)  Nickerson,  was  born  in  South  Dennis. 
Mass.,  April  29, 1830.  He  graduated  at  Amherst  College 
in  1854,  and  at  Andover  Seminary  in  1857  ;  was  ordained 
at  North  Woburn,  and  afterwards  installed  over  the  Uni- 
tarian church  in  Chelsea,  where  he  remained  about  three 
years.  He  was  re-installed  over  the  First  Congregational 
Church  in  Sterling,  July  27,  1864. 

lie  was  married,  in  1858,  to  Jeannie  Humphrey,  of 
Boston,  by  whom  he  has  three  children, —  Nellie  it.,  Frank 
E.,  and  Mary  S. 


422  APPENDIX. 


XLIX. 

JAMES  SALLOWAY,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Faulk- 
ner) Salloway,  was  born  in  Queen  Anne's  County,  Md., 
May  21, 1828.  He  pursued  a  course  of  studies  at  Oberlin 
College,  and  graduated  at  Antioch  College,  Ohio.  Having 
completed  his  theological  studies  at  the  Divinity  School, 
Cambridge,  he  was  ordained,  Jan.  21,  1863,  over  the  Uni- 
tarian church  in  Billerica,  the  charge  of  which  he  resigned 
October,  1864;  and  Nov.  9,  of  the  same  year,  he  was  in- 
stalled over  the  Unitarian  church  in  Clinton. 

He  was  married,  June  22,  1864,  to  Nellie  S.,  daughter 
of  George  Bacon,  Esq.,  of  Billerica. 


L. 

RUSHTON  DASHWOOD  BURR,  son  of  Samuel  S.  and 
Harriet  (Bodge)  Burr,  was  born  in  Haverhill,  Feb.  5, 
1828.  He  graduated  at  the  Cambridge  Divinity  School  in 
1852  ;  was  ordained  at  Medfield,  Jan.  12,  1853 ;  installed 
in  Brookfield,  Nov.  9,  1858,  and  at  Uxbridge,  Nov.  12, 
1862. 

LI. 

JOHN  BREMNER  GREEN,  son  of  James  and  Susan 
(Bremner)  Green,  was  born  July  18,  1833,  in  Fochabers, 
Morayshire,  Scotland.  He  received  his  theological  educa- 
tion at  Meadville,  Penn. ;  was  ordained  at  Bernardston, 
Mass.,  Feb.  5,  1862  ;  installed  at  Leominster,  Aug.  3, 1864, 
and  at  Chelsea,  June  19,  1867. 

He  married,  Aug.  5,  1855,  Maria  Holmes  Spalding,  of 
London,  Canada  West. 


APPENDIX.  423 


LlL 

HIRAM  C.  DDGAN,  son  of  John  Clark  and  Lydia 
(Holmes)  Dugan,  was  born  in  Franklin,  Lycoming  County, 
Penn.,  Nov.  27,  1830,  being  the  seventh  of  a  family  of 
eleven  children.  His  father,  a  pioneer  farmer,  built  his 
block-house  in  the  forest,  ploughed  and  sowed  and  subdued 
the  stubborn  soil,  was  always  poor,  and  died  from  hard 
labor  at  the  age  of  fifty-nine.  Of  course,  he  was  able  to 
give  his  children  only  a  scanty  common-school  education. 
Mr.  Dugan  studied  for  the  ministry  at  Meadville,  and 
graduated  in  1856.  "I  have  no  other  course  of  study  to 
tell  of,"  he  writes,  —  "I  say  it  m  sadness,  —  but  a  few 
weeks  now  and  then  in  the  old  school-house,  two  miles 
from  my  father's  house,  and  the  long  winter  evenings  by 
a  pitch-knot  light  and  the  open  fire,  after  a  hard  day's 
work,  with  wet  feet,  in  the  lumbering  woods."  He  was 
ordained  pastor  of  the  Christian  church  in  Lubec,  Me., 
Nov.  1,  1857  ;  Rev.  H.  F.  Edes  and  Rev.  T.  D.  Howard 
taking  part  in  the  exercises.  "  The  Christians,"  he  writes, 
"with  whom  my  ministry  has  been  chiefly  given,  never 
install  or  settle  their  pastors  :  they  hire  their  preachers 
from  year  to  year.  Hence  they  have  a  changing  ministry, 
amounting  almost  to  an  itineracy,  without  the  system  of 
the  Methodists.  Five  years  previous  to  my  coming  to 
Feltonville,  I  preached  in  New  Hampshire  ;  two  years 
in  Andover,  where  the  denomination  sustains  a  feeble 
school  ;  and  three  years  in  Franklin.  I  have  supplied 
Unitarian  pulpits  in  Calais,  Me.,  Chelmsford  and  Sandwich,' 


"I  was  always,"  he  adds,  "a  Unitarian.  I  was  a  small 
boy  when  my  sister  told  me  that  '  some  folks  believed  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  God.'  For  some  time  I  was  transfixed 
to  the  spot  where  I  atood  with  profound  astonishment.  I 


424  APPENDIX. 

could  go  back  now  to  the  old  homestead,  and  point  out 
the  spot  where  I  stood  when  she  told  me  this.  I  supposed 
then  that  but  few  believed  it,  —  some  little  sect  of  fanatics 
who  were  not  in  the  full  possession  of  their  reason.  And 
even  that  seemed  almost  impossible.  The  doctrine  has 
never  appeared  more  absurd  to  my  mind  in  my  mature 
judgment,  than  it  did  then  to  my  childish  instinct.  Since 
that  day,  it  has  been  impossible  that  I  should  become  a 
Trinitarian." 

Mr.  Dugan,  having  supplied  the  pulpit  in  Feltonville 
(Hudson)  for  some  time,  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the 
Lawrence  church,  Nov.  22,  1865  ;  which  office  he  resigned 
in  1867. 

Lin. 

EUGENE  DE  NORMANDIE,  son  of  James  and  Sarah 
B.  (Yardley)  De  Normandie,  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
Jan.  3,  1832.  He  received  his  collegiate  education  at  the 
University  of  Lewisburg,  Penn. ;  graduated  at  Meadville 
in  1855 ;  and  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  First  Congre- 
gational Church  in  Littleton,  where  he  remained  eight 
years.  After  spending  one  year  in  Fitzwilliam,  N.H.,  he 
was  installed  over  the  Second  Congregational  Society  in 
Marlborough,  Oct.  19,  1866. 

In  1860,  he  married  Ann  F.  Nye,  of  Sandwich.  Their 
children  are  Abram  Emerson,  Richard  Currier,  Eugene 
Fitzwilliam,  and  Sarah. 

LIV. 

GEORGE  N.  RICHARDSON,  son  of  Erastus  and  Mary 
(Johnson)  Richardson,  was  born  in  Eastport,  Me.,  27th  of 
November,  1827.  He  graduated  at  Bowdoin  College  in 
1847,  and  was  ordained  over  the  First  Congregational 
Church  in  Westborough,  Feb.  28,  1865. 


APPENDIX.  425 


LV. 

HENRY  L.  MYRICK  was  born  Dec.  5,  1826,  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Cambridge  Divinity 
School,  of  the  class  of  1852.  After  receiving  ordination 
as  pastor  of  the  First  Church  in  Plymouth,  he  had  the 
charge  of  the  pulpit  for  a  longer  or  shorter  period  in  Brook- 
line,  Conn.,  Eastport,  Me.,  Mai-blehead,  and  other  places ; 
and  in  June,  1866,  became  associate  pastor  with  Rev.  Dr. 
Allen,  of  the  First  Congregational  Society  in  North- 
borough. 

He  married  Lucy  C.  Whittemore,  of  West  Cambridge, 
now  Arlington.  Their  children  are  Francis  Tiffany  (died), 
Frederic  Frothingham,  Lockwood,  Cora,  George  Herbert, 
and  Horatio  Fiske. 

LVI. 

JEFFERSON  M.  Fox,  son  of  John  and  Cinderilla  (My- 
ers) Fox,  was  born  in  Pottsville,  Penn.,  Dec.  5,  1831. 
He  was  a  student  in  Hobart  College,  Geneva,  N.Y.,  and 
is  a  graduate  of  Meadville  Theological  Seminary.  He 
was  ordained  over  the  Unitarian  church  in  Trenton,  N.Y., 
Oct.  7,  1862,  and  installed  at  Harvard,  March  27,  1867. 
He  married,  Aug.  31,  1859,  Libbie  Marvin;  and  their 
only  child  is  Lillian  A.  Fox. 

LVII. 

HENRY  F.  JKNCKS,  son  of  John  Henry  and  Mary  Rand 
(Fitch)  Jencks,  and  a  grandson  of  the  late  venerable  Wil- 
liam Jencks,  D.D.,  of  Boston,  was  born  in  Boston,  Oct.  17, 
1842.  He  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1863,  and  at 


426  APPENDIX. 

the  Cambridge  Divinity  School  in  1866,  and  was  ordained 
as  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  Society  in  Fitchburg, 
April  10,  1867. 

LVIII. 

WILLIAM  S.  HEYWOOD,  son  of  John  and  Betsey  E. 
Heywood,  was  born  in  Westminster,  Mass.,  Aug.  23, 1824. 
He  was  ordained  in  May,  1849 ;  and,  after  keeping  school 
and  supplying  the  pulpit  in  several  places,  was  installed  as 
pastor  of  the  Lawrence  Church,  in  Hudson,  Oct.  11,  1867. 
He  married  Abby  S.,  daughter  of  Rev.  Adin  Ballou,  of 
Hopedale.  Their  only  child  is  Lucy  Florence,  born  July 
28,  1864. 


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